Wolf's Paws
by drakangrl9
Summary: Aizen thought no one was free from his deceit. Imagine his surprise when he finds a girl who somehow manages to slip outside his net. May contain elements from Princess Mononoke, as yet undecided.
1. Chapter 1

**Wolf's Paws**

**Prologue:**

**Strange Feelings**

Rayanne sat quietly in her assigned seat, though she by far would have preferred to sit slightly apart from all the other giggling girls in her graduating class. Sakiri was probably at her worst. It seemed she hadn't stopped giggling since she'd come in, whispering with some of the other girls. Rayanne herself was more tom boyish than the rest, which made her an outcast with the girls and semi-popular with the guys. She was perfectly happy with that. She had always been a loner, save for when she was very young. Life had been hard in the Rukon district, but it had gotten easier since she'd started attending the Shinigami Academy. Now it was graduation day, and her life would change again. Her class's instructor took the stand, and an instant hush fell over the group. Rayanne barely even bothered listening to her teacher's speech about how all of these fine young people had trained long and hard to become soul reapers, and took several deep breaths. The scents were sharper and clearer to her than any other in the room, she already knew. Nerves and excitement were evident from the trainees. The captains were only mildly interested, it seemed. She caught Komamura's gaze sweeping over the trainees, stopping on her for a bit longer. Her breath caught in her throat for an instant. Oh, no! What if he can scent me? Rayanne thought in a panic-stricken second, careful not to let her emotions show. Then she remembered that, though Komamura may look like a wolf or fox, his senses were like those of the other soul reapers. He's lucky in that sense, Rayanne thought, though at least I can retain human form most of the time. One of the perks of being half and half, I suppose. The speeches dragged on. After the instructor came Soi Fon, whose speech was short but rather harsh. It had most of the trainees even more nervous, but had Rayanne covering her mouth to muffle her giggles and hide her smile. She felt someone's eyes on her. She kept her eyes fixed on the podium, but using peripheral vision, she started to scan the room. Soon enough she spotted the culprit. Gin Ichimaru, captain of third company. He was widely disliked among the students. Rayanne was especially wary of him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him whisper something to Soskue Aizen, the captain of fifth company. Next to the brown-haired captain, Rayanne saw his lieutenant, Momo. Momo and Rayanne had been friends for quite some time, and Momo knew a few of the girl's tricks. Thus, she knew Rayanne was looking at her, and gave a teeny wave. Rayanne turned her head and grinned in response, then rolled her eyes while nodding slightly toward the podium. This got a quiet giggle from Momo, and a surprised glance passed between the two captains. Rayanne, barely keeping a smile from her face, returned her gaze to the podium. Not all the captains were present, of course, but that only served to shave a few minutes off the graduation day schedule. The only tense moment occurred when Aizen stepped up to speak. When he'd finished, he smiled in that funny way he had. Most of the girls in the room sighed or giggled softly. Rayanne didn't. Though everyone seemed to like Aizen, there was something about him that made her wary. Watchful. Uneasy. Which wasn't exactly hard to believe, considering the lifestyle she led. She carefully watched as he scanned the students, and tensed immediately when his gaze settled on her. Her stomach clenched, and she could imagine the fur bristling along her spine.


	2. Night Life

**Chapter 1:**

**Night Life**

Rayanne jolted awake. A quick look around the seventh division barracks revealed that it was still night. The girl shook her golden-brown hair out of her eyes and put her hand over her heart to steady the rapid beat. Every time she remembered that moment of the graduation, her heart rate would speed up and she'd feel sick.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Rayanne muttered as a tight knot coiled in her belly. "It was just a dream. Calm down."

Every time she had that dream, her wolf half would react, usually violently. Quietly, she slipped out of her blankets and slid soundlessly out the door. The fresh air helped to clear her head a bit. Rayanne inhaled deeply, letting night scents wash over her as she walked along the narrow streets. A cool breeze blew her hair away from her face, and she tilted her head back to look at the stars.

"You're out late," came a familiar voice. Rayanne, barely holding back a squeak, whirled around.

"Captain Aizen!" she said, and the wolf roiled in her gut. "Sorry. You startled me," she said, putting a hand to her side to dull the pain. Aizen's smile dimmed, and he looked genuinely concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Just cramps," Rayanne answered, managing to smile. :I'm just going for a short walk to work them out." She didn't wait for his reply, knowing that if she waited any longer she wouldn't get out of Seireitei in time. Using shunpo, she leaped over the east wall and didn't stop running until she was a good way into the forest on the other side. Once she found a nice, quiet spot, she let her barriers fall, and held back a groan. Others like her often wondered how she could make the change seem so effortless, when in reality it could hurt like hell. Skin changed, bones reformed, and soon a large, pale gray wolf stood in place of the young Shinigami. Wolf Rayanne flexed her muscles and stretched, executing a yawn that displayed sharp teeth inside very powerful jaws.

"Well, if it isn't the young princess," came a familiar voice.

"Aya, how many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?" Rayanne growled playfully, turning to face a rather large blackbird.

"Better get used to it. Everyone's still obsessing over you being the lost heiress to the throne," Aya said, fluttering down to a lower branch.

"I haven't even been crowned! I don't even want to be queen! It's so much work! I hate politics!" the wolf complained.

"Oh, come on! You're the heiress to the Shapeshifter's Throne. Shape shifters and animals alike will look up to you! They already do!" Aya said.

"Not all of them," Rayanne growled.

"Oh, forget Ayamoshi! He's a serpent in every sense of the word, but he gets above himself!" Aya said.

"And he attacked me immediately after graduation, and a few times after that. He really doesn't want to see anyone from the wolf clan on the throne!" Rayanne said.

"Let's not talk about this. It's creeping me out," the blackbird chirped.

"You brought it up," Rayanne growled. "I'm going hunting."

"I so don't want to watch that," Aya said, "bye!" With that, the blackbird flew off into the trees. Rayanne, meanwhile, followed the scent of a rabbit, trying not to think about her coronation or her enemy; the snake lord Ayamoshi.


	3. Murder?

**Chapter 2:**

**Murder?**

A piercing scream roused Rayanne the next morning. Instantly she leapt out of bed, followed by two other girls from her squad. Soon they were out the door, Rayanne putting her hair in a high ponytail as she ran. She'd recognized the scream as Momo's, and as her friend continued screaming, Rayanne picked up the pace. Honing her senses, Rayanne was quickly able to discern Momo's location. As she drew closer, she saw that something was wrong. Smelled it, actually. The air was heavy with the scent of blood. When Rayanne emerged on the scene, she immediately realized something was wrong. Izuru, Gin, Momo and several other soul reapers were already there. Captain Aizen's body was on the wall above them, his sword holding him there. Or at least it looked like Aizen's body. Though the scent of blood was all over the place, there was no scent of death. Rayanne let as much of her wolf bleed into her as she could without shifting, but there was still no death scent. Suddenly she blinked. Aizen's form seemed to be wavering, and it was making her dizzy. She blinked again and pushed her wolf back. Now the bloody image seemed more solid, but the edges still seemed a little wavy. She blinked and let her wolf half withdraw a bit more. Now the image was perfectly solid. What the hell was that? Rayanne thought. The girl was snapped from her musings by a sudden movement. Momo had drawn her sword. Rayanne reacted without thinking. She leaped over and grabbed Momo's arm, her superhuman strength effectively keeping Momo from moving.

"Let me go! Let me go, Rayanne!" Momo screamed, practically hysterical. Rayanne grabbed Momo's shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"Something's wrong here," she said. Momo instantly stopped struggling.

"W...What do you mean?" Momo asked softly.

"There's no scent of death," Rayanne whispered, easing up her grip. I can smell the blood, but there isn't even a hint of death or decay. And another thing. I can smell Aizen, thought it's stale, but the only other scents here are ours. All fresh," she added. Momo went rigid.

"You... You mean...?" she stuttered.

"Exactly. Who's the killer?" Rayanne whispered. If there is one, she added silently. Without warning, Momo turned and buried her face in Rayanne's hakama, sobbing. Clutching her friend's black robes, Momo began to sink to the ground. Rayanne slowed the fall, wrapping her heartbroken, confused friend in a gentle, firm hug.

"I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do," Momo whispered.

"Believe me, I'm as confused as you are," Rayanne answered, stroking the other girl's hair. "Come on. Let's go to that meadow I showed you. You look like you're about to collapse, and I for one don't want that."

Rayanne stood, helping a still crying Momo to her feet. Gently holding her friend's hand, the princess of the shape shifters led Momo Hinamori away from that awful scene. A move that changed both their futures, for worse and for better.

**Ha ha! See if you can guess why helping Momo may have been a dangerous move on Rayanne's part! Until next time!**


	4. Fear, Anger and Blood

**Chapter 3:**

**Fear, Anger and Blood**

Rayanne quietly crept along the street, hoping to meet up with Orihime and the others at the Sokyoku. Ever since the ryoka entered the Soul Society, my life has gotten hectic all over again, she thought. She'd met up with Uryu and Orihime and helped trick a patrol for them. Later she'd met up with Ichigo and Yoruichi, and had told them she'd help in any way she could. Rayanne herself had thought the circumstances of Rukia's execution were suspicious, and had been trying to find out what she could. She had a friend, Miyame, on the Council of 46, but Rayanne had been unable to contact her. As she was passing the Underground Assembly Hall, something made her pause. Then her nose wrinkled. There was a faint scent on the air, but it was an awful scent. The stench of death and rotting meat. Following her nose, Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat when she realized it was coming from the assembly hall. Immediately she leaped over the wall and narrowly missed going for a swim. But the second she stepped to the main door, her hope for an easy entrance was squandered. Blades, seemingly more than a hundred, crisscrossed over the door. Rayanne cursed under her breath. The emergency security system had been activated. She knew that there was one way to get in. She reached down, and the wolf answered her call. Rayanne hunched her shoulders and let go.

Rayanne raised her paws, claws extended and full of reiatsu. She stood on her hind legs and hooked her claws over the highest blade she could reach. Rayanne flexed her claws, feeling her energy flare, and ripped. The wolf's claws cut through the crisscrossed blades like they were paper. Soon the wooden door was exposed, and the wolf made short work of the lock. Now that the door was gone, the stench of death and blood became stronger. Intrigued, the wolf trotted forward. The human side told her to be extremely cautious. Wolf Rayanne trotted down the corridor, breaking down doors as they came along. When she came to the last one, Rayanne hesitated for an instant. Then she lashed out with a paw, and the door was practically thrown off its hinges. Rayanne only stood in horror when she was what was inside.

Blood was everywhere. It covered the walls and spilled off the tables, filling the whole room with the scent of carrion. The stench of rotting flesh was everywhere. The Underground Assembly Hall was full of bodies. Terror stricken, fear seizing even her wolf, Rayanne looked wildly around. The 46 were dead, all of them murdered none too cleanly. And not recently. Judging by the scent and the fact that the blood was completely dry and flaking, Rayanne deduced that these people had been dead for weeks. Rayanne narrowed her eyes and drew her lips back in a snarl.

They had been dead when Rukia was sentenced.

Who would do this? Rayanne thought. Who could do this? Then, suddenly, she knew. It was a horrible realization, but there was no way around it. A movement snapped Rayanne out of her reverie. The wolf turned and tensed, ready for fight of flight. Then came a groan, and Rayanne stood stock still, utterly shocked.

"Miyame," she whined. The groan cam again, unmistakable. The wolf dashed over to her friend, a blonde woman sitting in a chair toward the back of the room. She put her forepaws on the arm of the chair and licked Miyame's face. Her friend's arm moved slightly, and Miyame groaned again. Rayanne yipped happily and wagged her tail. Her friend was alive!

"Rayanne? Is that you?" Miyame asked weakly. Since she couldn't speak in a way Miyame would understand, Rayanne nosed her hand.

"I thought so," Miyame smiled weakly as Rayanne examined the wound in her chest. It was wide and deep, and the blade had barely missed the heart. Rayanne knew that Miyame had been touched with shape shifter's magic, probably being touched with their ability to survive. A protective magical seal would have formed around her, but it had been gone for quite some time. Rayanne leaned forward and licked blood from the wound, both old and fresh. When she started lapping at the side of the gash, it began to heal. Slower than it would with a healing kido, but it was working. Suddenly she paused and pricked her ears. There was a noise from the hallway. Someone was coming, and Rayanne didn't believe they were the good guys.

"They're coming back," Miyame said, voice stronger than it had been. "Hide, quickly! I'll be fine, but they can't see you here!" Rayanne needed no encouragement. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she leapt into the shadows at the far wall. There she waited, motionless, acting like a predator and feeling like prey.

**Who is it? Who do you think is coming? Is it Izuru? Toshiro and Rangiku? Momo? Someone else, namely Aizen or Gin? Tosen, even? I'm being mean, sorry. I don't know how to continue it, exactly. Do you think Rayanne and Miyame should get caught? Let me know via PM or review.**


	5. Packmates in Trouble

**Chapter 4:**

**Packmates in Trouble**

"Alright, who broke all the doors?" Gin said. Rayanne tensed as three scents reached her. Oh, this is bad, this is really, really bad, she thought. Gin stepped into the assembly hall, followed by Tosen and Aizen. Great, Rayanne thought. I hope Miyame remembered to shut off her spiritual pressure. The blonde-haired woman was sitting perfectly still, eyes closed, feigning death. The wolf, meanwhile, stayed concealed in the shadows. Her spiritual pressure would be distorted since she was in wolf form, so hopefully none of them would recognize it. For now all she could do was wait and hope the chance to make a break appeared.

"I do not recognize this spiritual pressure, though it seems familiar," Kaname said. Yes, Rayanne thought.

"Whoever it is, they're still here," Aizen said. No! Rayanne had to stifle a growl, and pressed herself further back into the shadows. She crouched down as Gin looked around the room heart beating rapidly. She knew that if she and Miyame were discovered, they were dead. Suddenly she felt a flare of spiritual pressure. It died quickly, but it was already too late. With the effects of Rayanne's healing power, Miyame's wounds had continued to heal. When she'd healed completely, it had caused her spiritual pressure to rise too quickly for her to conceal it. Rayanne tensed, and her blood ran cold as Aizen calmly began to walk toward Miyame, drawing his zanpakuto. Knowing she'd been found out, Miyame opened her eyes and sat a little straighter, assessing the situation as the former squad five captain stood over her. Rayanne did the same. It didn't look good. Gin and Tosen had blocked the door. Miyame was too weak to make a break for it, not that she could in the first place. Rayanne's mind raced furiously.

"I must admit, I'm astonished that you managed to survive this long," Aizen said. Miyame looked up at him, biting her lip. Aizen noted the bloody robes, and saw that her wound was a nearly-healed scar.

"Whoever healed you is certainly skilled. There is almost no trace of the wound," Aizen commented. "Where are they?"

It was clear he wasn't expecting an answer. Miyame wasn't planning on giving him one, but Rayanne obliged, in a sense. She leaped from her hiding place with a movement similar to shunpo, grabbed Miyame's sleeve in her teeth, and knocked Gin and Tosen out of the way in two graceful leaps. Then, with Miyame clinging to the fur on her neck, she was racing down the hall, out the door and leaping into the water. Once there, she quickly shifted her weight to get Miyame back onto her shoulders. Quickly, she swam under the walkway, having to drag Miyame under with the woman's shirt clasped firmly in her jaws. Rayanne, however, was glad that the only way to get under the walk was going underwater, It made you harder to find. Then she smelled blood, fresh blood, and growled softly. Miyame's wound had reopened.

"Well, that wasn't exactly a flashy exit," Gin said. "Did either of you see who that was?" A moment's pause, then, "Oh, sorry Tosen." If Rayanne had been human, she would have rolled her eyes.

"Again, the spiritual pressure was familiar, but it seemed distorted," Tosen said.

"It was." That was Aizen.

"Oh? Do you know who it was?" Gin said, amusement edging his voice.

"I believe so," was the answer. Beneath the walkway, Rayanne growled ever so softly.

"I'll tell you later, Gin," Aizen said, undoubtedly guessing what the silver-haired captain would ask next.

"Aw, that's not fair," Gin mock pouted.

"Should we go after them?" Kaname asked.

"No. Tosen, go find Renji and Rukia. Gin, go find Izuru."

Rayanne didn't need to hear any more. She'd already pieced together the bits of Aizen's plan. She sensed two presences approaching, and a third behind them. Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, and... Momo. Thought Momo wasn't a wolf, Rayanne's wolf half regarded her as pack. But first she had to take care of Miyame. Rayanne closed her eyes, making sure no one was too close. Then she raised her head and howled. She felt the water swirl beneath her paws, and then a rush of wind blew past her face. When she opened her eyes, she and Miyame weren't under the walkway leading to the assembly hall. They were at the spring of the forest spirit.

xxXXxx

Rayanne hadn't had time to change back into her human form while crossing between worlds. She'd left Miyame at the spirit's spring and asked her sister San to watch her. The wolf reappeared right outside the assembly hall. Quickly she scented the air. Toshiro and Rangiku had already been here. Other scents mingled with theirs. There was Kaname, Aizen, Izuru... Gin and Momo. Their scents, along with Aizen's, trailed in the direction of the seijoto kyorin. Aizen had apparently gone a little bit ahead of the other two. Rayanne knew she wouldn't get there in time. The wolf started to run. As she did, she closed her eyes.

Danger. She directed that thought at Momo as she ran. Danger. Run.

Rayanne? Momo's question rang in her head.

Run, now, the wolf thought.

What do you mean? Captain Aizen... Momo was obviously confused.

It's a trap. Run, get out, Rayanne insisted.

But why...

Trust me. Toshiro didn't kill the 46. Aizen did.

That one was the shocker. Rayanne sensed that Momo was recalling their conversation on the day Aizen faked his death. She doesn't want to believe it, Rayanne thought.

Help me!

That thought jolted Rayanne, startling her so much she almost twisted a paw.

I'm in wolf form. The best I can do is dash by. I'll grab you, but be sure you hold on tight.

A scream in her mind was all that answered Rayanne. She was so startled she tripped and reverted to human form. It was so painful she emitted a few short, strangled screams as she changed. More often than not, shape shifters preferred to be unconscious when changing back from their animal form. Rayanne stood in trembling legs, but managed to keep running. When she got close to the towers, she didn't go straight in. Once she'd entered the tower grove, she leaped into the air and held on to a wall, eyes fixed on the entrance to the tower she sensed Momo in. A small breeze wafted by her, carrying the scent of freshly spilled blood. Rayanne's throat rumbled with a growl, lips pulled back from her teeth. Her mouth ached from wanting to grow sharper, more lethal teeth. She saw Aizen and Gin leaving the tower she'd focused on. Rayanne knew she'd have to time this carefully. Hitsugaya was coming, and she wanted to avoid being seen if at all possible. She saw her chance when the two men were away from the tower door. Using shunpo, she leapt to one tower, pushed off, and leapt through the other tower's window. She instantly saw Momo on the floor, lying in a spreading pool of blood. Rayanne ran over and knelt beside her. The girl flipped her friend onto her back. She grimaced when she saw the wound. It went straight through the middle of her chest. Rayanne was getting ready to shift when Captain Hitsugaya flash-stepped in. He was about to say something, but Rayanne's look silenced him.

Distract them, she mouthed. Toshiro gave a barely audible nod. Rayanne didn't pay attention to what he said. Carefully, Rayanne picked Momo up and held the smaller girl to her chest. She glanced up and saw that Toshiro had positioned himself so that Gin and Aizen's view of them was blocked. Holding Momo tightly to her chest, Rayanne noticed a movement by her knee and looked down. A little kodama stood there, grinning at her. Then she noticed the others. They stood in a circle around her. Rayanne stood quickly as first one kodama, then another, started to shake their heads. It produced a sound similar to pieces of wood knocking together. As they all started to do it, it started to sound like wind rustling in the leaves. Knowing what was coming, Rayanne closed her eyes. A wind blew some strands of hair into her face, and she noted that Toshiro had released his bankai.

Don't worry about Momo, Rayanne thought to him. She's safe with me. The wind picked up, swirling around Rayanne, Momo and the kodama. Before the wind reached its peak speed, Rayanne felt Momo weakly grasp her hakama. Suddenly the wind quieted. Rayanne opened her eyes and saw that she was once again standing on the bank of the forest spirit's spring. Looking at the island in the center, she saw a still unconscious Miyame. As the kodama scattered, Rayanne stepped into the pool. When the water was up to her waist, Rayanne lowered Momo into the pool and pulled her the rest of the way to the island. She placed her burden right next to Miyame, half in and half out of the water. The shape shifter looked toward the night sky. The sun would be rising soon. Quickly and quietly she leapt into the pool, cast a last glance back at her friends, then swam to the edge of the pool. Crawling out, she quickly glanced up at the sky, then vanished into the forest at the kodama started to appear and climb the trees to greet the Nightwalker.

**Sorry it took so long to update, but we've been having computer problems. A special thanks to daydreamer1008 for the reviews and suggestions. Also thanks to BlazingXDarkness for the suggestion.**


	6. Visiting Friends and Meeting Enemies

**Chapter 5:**

**Visiting Friends and Meeting Enemies**

When Momo woke, she didn't know where she was. Somewhere with a blue sky and trees. Carefully, she sat up. Then she stared at her chest. There was no wound. Was it all just... a dream? She wondered. She heard a noise next to her, on her left, and jumped. Looking, Momo saw a blonde woman lying on her back. With a low grunt at the effort, the woman sat up and looked around.

"So this is where she goes wandering off to all the time," the woman said.

"Who?" Momo asked.

"Hey, glad to see you're both awake," came a voice familiar to the two. They turned and saw Rayanne swimming toward them, with another girl in tow. She had short brown hair, wore a blue skirt, white sleeveless top, white moccasins and a white wolf's fur. She also had a claw necklace and white earrings.

"Who's that?" Momo asked, trembling a bit.

"This is my sister, San," Rayanne answered. Momo's eyes widened, and Miyame cocked an eyebrow.

"You never told me you have a sister!" Momo yelled.

"It's more like half-sister," Rayanne answered.

"The Forest Spirit healed you. That means he want you both to live," San said.

"Who?" Momo said.

"What?" Miyame asked.

"I'll explain later. You guys need to bet back to Soul Society," Rayanne answered.

"Aren't you coming?" Momo asked.

"Later," Rayanne answered. "I have work to do here."

"Queenly duties?" Miyame teased. Momo looked confused while Rayanne shot a reproachful look at Miyame.

"I'm not queen yet, Miyame," Rayanne said.

"What are you talking about?" Momo asked. Rayanne sighed.

"I'm princess of the shape shifters," she answered.

"Crown princess. The last princess, if I understand correctly," Miyame said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Momo asked Rayanne, looking hurt.

"If she told you, you would've been in danger. There's a serpent lord who doesn't want anyone from the wolf clan, least of all Rayanne, on the throne," San answered.

"Don't remind me," Rayanne muttered. Momo hugged her knees and stared into space. Aizen's betrayal hit her hard, Rayanne thought. She heard a noise and turned. Two white wolves were standing near the edge of the spring.

"We have to go. Mother wants us," San said to Rayanne.

"Who's your mother?" Miyame and Momo asking in unison.

"Moro, the wolf god," Rayanne answered.

"Those wolves are our brothers," San added. Momo's eyes widened and Miyame's jaw dropped.

"Your escorts are here," Rayanne said, grinning. Momo looked down and gave a squeal of surprise. A kodama was looking up at her. More appeared nearby.

"They're so cute!" Momo exclaimed.

"What are they?" Miyame asked.

"Kodama. Tree spirits," Rayanne answered. Miyame and Momo sat back to back as the kodama surrounded them and began to shake their heads again. The wind picked up again, and with a flash of light, the two young women were gone. Rayanne and San swam to the wolves.

"What's happening?" San asked.

"Is it the boars?" Rayanne asked. The wolves nodded.

"The boars are marching."

xxXXxx

When Rayanne appeared in Soul Society, she wasn't in the Seireitei. She was in a mountain forest, one she knew well.

"What a surprise to see you here," came a friendly voice. Rayanne turned and saw a white dragon standing in the shadow of some trees.

"Cinder!" she cried happily. She ran to the dragon and threw her arms around the scaly neck. Cinder nuzzled her shoulders and ruffled her hair before the girl pulled away.

"It's good to see you again, Rayanne," Cinder said. "Is something wrong?"

Rayanne sighed. "I wish I could just come up here fro a visit. Unfortunately, Aya told me that some of Ayamoshi's servants have been seen around here." Cinder nodded.

"Come. I'm sure the others will be pleased to see you," the dragon said.

Were they ever. Most if not all, the dragons in Soul Society lived in a cave on the mountain, and Rayanne was great friends with them. Ember's eggs had just hatched, and six new dragonlings were bouncing around the cave. Flitter, a blue male, and Licha, a green female, seemed to take a great interest in Rayanne. They'd try to follow her everywhere she went, on more than one occasion trying to hitch a ride on her clothes when she went out to search the forest for suspicious signs. It went on as such for over two weeks, with Rayanne making a couple trips to the Seireitei. She loved being on the mountain with the dragons, and would sometimes forget why she was there. It was on one such day that she had left the dragons' cave to go get some water from the mountain's spring. Suddenly she sensed something and instinctively stepped back into the trees.

No one should be up here but me, she thought. That spiritual pressure felt familiar.

Then a sound came from behind her. Rayanne was about to turn when someone grabbed her arm and held her firmly in place. Rayanne yelled, but it was cut off as the person holding her put a cloth over her nose and mouth. It had a sickly sweet scent, and Rayanne realized it had some sort of drug on it. She tried to pull the person's hand from her face, but she was already losing consciousness. Soon Rayanne's sensed left her, and she fell into and endless dark.

xxXXxx

Rayanne regained consciousness slowly. Her sense of smell returned first, and because of that she knew who her captors were. Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. And she was far from happy. When her head cleared, she didn't open her eyes. She listened.

"This one's always been a bit strange, I'll agree," Gin was saying. "Though I wonder what Aizen wants with her?"

"You gave her too much," Tosen said, completely ignoring the question.

"Poor thing," Gin said, and Rayanne barely kept herself from twitching when he ruffled her hair. Then she noticed a tightness in her wrists and realized her hands were bound behind her back. She gave up pretending to be unconscious and opened her eyes.

"Someone's awake," Gin said cheerfully. Rayanne sat up and looked around. She was sitting next to Gin on the circular part of the cliff above the pool. Tosen sat opposite them, and Rayanne knew that the pool was below the short rock wall behind her. That was all she was able to figure out before her head started to swim, and with a groan she lay back down.

"Dizzy?" Gin asked.

"What do you think?" Rayanne snarled. Then she felt something on the back of her wrists. Scaly noses and tiny dragon paws. Flitter and Licha. They'd probably followed her and seen Gin and Tosen grab her. And they were in the process of chewing through the ropes that bound her wrists together.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Gin teased.

"Anywhere within a league of you is the wrong side of the bed," Rayanne snapped. The ropes around her wrists went slack. Quick as wink, Rayanne flung the ropes away and leapt over the side of the cliff. Flitter and Licha were a step ahead of her. Flipping once to slow her fall, Rayanne noted that the two dragonlings were waiting for her. When she landed, they took off into the trees. Rayanne followed them, keeping pace easily. She sensed Gin and Tosen following, but she knew this forest better than them. So Rayanne led them a dance, her superior senses and endurance playing to her advantage. She traveled through the treetops, wove along narrow paths, and occasionally ducked into underground passages. The two ex-captains were persistent, but Rayanne's knowledge of the forest and connections with the creatures proved to be a key tool. She lost them in about half an hour. Unfortunately, about ten minutes after that she bumped into someone else.

"You!" Ayamoshi hissed.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Rayanne said.

The snake lord drew his blade. The second he did, Rayanne kicked him in the gut and sent him flying into a gully. She took off running again. When she stepped into a clearing, someone grabbed her arm. With a shriek she turned, but halfway through the motion, someone grabbed her other wrist.

"That's not very nice," Gin chided, unaware he'd nearly gotten his face clawed. Tosen, feeling Gin wasn't getting anywhere, stepped in and firmly bound Rayanne's wrists despite her struggling. When she tried to lash out, Tosen grabbed both her arms and held them firmly.

"Let go..." Rayanne's yell was cut off when Gin put a cloth over her mouth and tied it behind her head.

"Persistent, aren't you?" he teased when Rayanne fixed him with a seething glare. Then she doubled over, swallowing a groan. Wolf was panicking. Fight, change, run, claw, it didn't matter. And bite she did... through the gag. She spat the cloth out of her mouth and answered a distant roar with a hoarse cry. Tosen quickly covered her mouth with the drugged cloth, and the dosage was heavier than it had been last time. Rayanne tried to scream, and almost choked as the cloying scent of the drug entered her throat. Suddenly her head swam, and she felt as though her limbs had lost their strength. Before she fell unconscious, she heard Gin give one last annoying comment.

"I think that was overdoing it, Tosen."

**Whoo, bruised egos for a couple people there! See you soon!**


	7. First Impressions

**Chapter 6:**

**First Impressions**

White. That was the first thing Rayanne saw when she woke up. She realized she was lying on something soft... a bed, and she was under a thin blanket. When she tried to move, she realized her hands were still tied. Rayanne struggled to move, but her muscles were still sore.

"You shouldn't move too quickly," came a terribly familiar voice.

Rayanne quickly looked to her right. Aizen sat in a chair by a table close to the bed. Just the sight of him made her have to hold back her wolf. Rayanne swallowed to get a bitter taste out of her mouth.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"A few hours, which is surprising considering the dosage you received," Aizen answered.

That explains the soreness, Rayanne thought bitterly.

"And Tosen said I gave you too much," Gin complained. Rayanne noticed him standing, or moreover leaning, on a wall.

"While we're on the subject, Gin, would you tell him I'd like to see him for a moment?" Aizen said.

"Of course," Gin answered, promptly leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Aizen stood and walked over to the bed.

"Show me your hands," he said.

Rayanne hesitated and instant, then rolled onto her side to reveal her bound wrists. Aizen touched the ropes and they fell away. Then Rayanne noticed that her spiritual power seemed to suddenly be flowing back. It didn't take long to figure out what had happened. The rope hadn't only tied her hands, but had also trapped her spiritual powers. Feeling her wolf tensing to attack, Rayanne quickly kicked the covers off and sprang out of the bed, hoping the activity would calm her animal counterpart. It did, to a certain extent. A few deep, slow breaths tamped it down further. Suddenly the door opened, which made Wolf jump again. Rayanne luckily managed to keep her down as Tosen entered.

"Ah, Tosen. Thank you for coming," Aizen said as Rayanne glanced uneasily between the two. "I'd like to test a theory."

"Test a theory?" Rayanne said, alarm bells ringing in her head. This can't be good.

"Don't worry yourself. You've been through enough stress today," Aizen said, that smirk Rayanne found incredibly annoying on his face. She tensed immediately when Aizen drew his zanpakuto.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Rayanne shut her eyes tightly and wheeled for the door. Tosen grabbed her and pinned her against him with one arm, holding her eyes open with the other. When Rayanne's gaze returned to Aizen, she stared. Last time I checked, he wasn't see-thru, she thought. When Tosen released her, she blinked hard and let more wolf fill her senses. Yes, that was definitely an illusion. There was no 'alive' scent, another telltale sign. Rayanne sensed movement to her left, turned, and blocked Aizen's attack. Immediately she leapt away from him, tense and ready to fight if need be.

"Interesting," Aizen said, sheathing his zanpakuto. "Kyoka Suigetsu's ability doesn't affect you as it affects others." He returned his gaze to her. "Are you willing to tell me why that is?"

A simple 'I don't know' was on the tip of Rayanne's tongue, but then it died. That was a really stupid excuse. Instead she stood a little straighter and met his gaze evenly.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked after a second. Tosen reached for the hilt of his sword, but Aizen put a hand out to stop him.

"Among all the soul reapers in the Seireitei, you were different, Rayanne," he said, walking toward her. "While others looked up to me, you avoided me. Others were honest and open with their thoughts, but you were always wary."

"I grew up under terrible conditions in the Rukon district. I've always been slow to trust," Rayanne answered, coldness in her tone. She took a tentative step back as Aizen advanced.

"Plenty of soul reapers come from the Rukon district. That you felt even a little bit of suspicion is what I noticed. The fact that you were rarely around also made you interesting. You concealed it well from the others. Keeping out of sight was a clever tactic. No one among them knows your abilities, do they?"

"No," Rayanne said, purposely using an undertone that made it sound like she thought that was ridiculous. She took another small step back, and collided with a wall. Aizen stood over her, looking down on her with fathomless brown eyes. Wolf hated that. Eye to eye stares are challenges to wolves, and Rayanne's wolf half was having mixed feelings about this. She was an alpha among the shape shifters, but this man was stronger than her. Much stronger. This isn't our territory, Rayanne told her. Wolf calmed a bit.

You sure you're not a queen? Rayanne's hollow teased.

Shut up, Rayanne thought, I have enough problems. Suddenly, a new 'problem' made itself known. Well, not really known. More like it made Rayanne and the others in her inner world aware of it. Briefly, something stirred in Rayanne. She tensed as it did, eyes widening ever so slightly. It settled in an instant, but whatever it was, it was strong. It could easily match her hollow, Rayanne knew. What frightened her was the fact that this thing was part of her, and she didn't know what it was.

What was that? Rayanne asked anyone in particular.

Wolf whined and cowered.

I don't know, but it really freaked me out, her hollow said.

I don't know, but it was powerful and strong, Rayanne's zanpakuto, Kirazuki said.

Rayanne returned her focus to Aizen, who had silently studied her throughout the whole exchange.

"From what Gin told me, you gave him and Tosen a hard time. You've visited that forest before, haven't you?"

"Yes," Rayanne answered.

"Why have you not told other soul reapers about your... abilities?" Aizen asked.

Immediately Rayanne's guard shot up. She pursed her lips and glanced away. This response earned her a soft chuckle from the man standing in front of her.

"You're stronger than you look."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted," Rayanne muttered.

Kick him, her hollow thought.

No, she answered.

She watched warily as Aizen opened the door. Tosen had gone out a little ahead of him.

"Oh, Rayanne? Try not to make any trouble while you're here," Aizen said, glancing over his shoulder. Her 'phooey' expression got her an amused smile before the door closed, trapping Rayanne in what she considered to be a very boring room.

Not make trouble? Rayanne's hollow laughed.

He doesn't know you very well, Kirazuki observed.


	8. Sneaking Around and a Message System

OMG! TEN reviews! I need to go celebrate! I never thought this story would be so popular.

**Chapter 7:**

**Sneaking Around and a Message System**

Rayanne lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She'd examined the door, and figured she could claw her way out if need be. She wasn't sure that would be the best idea. Even if she could get out, she'd be wandering in a palace full of powerful arrancars. Plus there were cameras in the walls, if what she'd heard of a conversation outside her door was true. Transformed, her shade walking ability would be magnified so she would be practically invisible, but transforming was something she wanted to avoid. Suddenly she heard something. She sat up, staring at the far wall. Cocking her head in an unconscious quirk, Rayanne let more wolf fill her senses. The noise was unmistakable. Wind blowing through a tight space. Quickly, Rayanne stood and went over to the far wall. Yes, there was a soft draft coming from somewhere. She put her hand on the wall and ran it along until she felt a crack. Further exploration showed that the crack ran up and down the wall. Rayanne dug her fingers into it and pulled. The crack was a secret door.

"Now we can have some fun," Rayanne muttered, stepping into the concealed hallway.

xxXXxx

Rayanne assumed she'd been in Las Noches for about three days. She spent most of her time wandering the passages, always making sure to be back in her room by mealtime. The food they brought her was really bland and not at all appealing to Wolf. Rayanne would eat as much as she could, but whenever Wolf raised her head, it would make her even sicker than usual. And since Ulquiorra was the one who brought her meals, she couldn't really talk to anyone. Well, not to the Espada or arrancars, anyhow. Rayanne conversed with her smallest visitors: the hollow mice and lizards that hung around the castle. They would bring her news and occasionally sneak her more appetizing food. Thus it came to the shape shifter's attention that Orihime was in Las Noches, too. Rayanne politely asked the little creatures to keep an eye out and see if they could figure out where Orihime was being held. Much to her surprise, they formed little search parties and would go out and look for Orihime. The others would sit and chat with Rayanne until it was their turn. They were doing just that when the mouse that had been on lookout squeaked an alarm.

"Ulquiorra's coming!"

"What?" Rayanne said, sitting up. "That can't be good. I practically just ate."

"Can I bite him? Please?" one hollow lizard asked, baring its teeth.

"Yeah!" the others yelled. Rayanne laughed.

"I wish, but no. Trip him in the halls if you can."

With that, her friends scampered under the bed, giggling and whispering to each other. Rayanne lay on her back on the bed, putting on a bored expression and staring at the ceiling. All muttering under the bed ceased when everyone heard footsteps coming down the hall. When the door opened, Rayanne made sure Ulquiorra saw her lying around before she sat up.

"What now?" she said, sounding tired.

"Lord Aizen requests your presence," the Cuarto Espada answered.

He stood for a moment while Rayanne pondered this new development.

"I will return in two hours. Be prepared by then," Ulquiorra said, turning to leave.

When he was gone, Rayanne swore bitterly under her breath. Then she turned to the hole in the wall, from which a group of little creatures was just emerging.

"We found her!" a mouse cried. A cheer went up from under the bed. Rayanne grinned, then her face fell.

"Awesome! How far away is she?" Rayanne asked.

"Following the passages, it's about ten minutes away. Why?" a lizard said.

"Aizen wants to see me. I have to be back here within two hours," Rayanne said.

"Okay!" the creatures said. With that, their little gathering dispersed. Rayanne opened the door to the passage and stepped inside. A hollow lizard waited for her. Once the door was shut, it took off. Rayanne followed it, memorizing the turns they took. After what seemed like an hour, but Rayanne knew it had only been a few minutes, the lizard stopped at another door.

"Thanks," Rayanne told it.

It gave a toothy grin, then ran off. Rayanne stood by the door for a second and listened. Satisfied that Orihime was alone, she pushed the door open.

"Ah!" Orihime yelled when Rayanne stepped in. She looked baffled for an instant, then broke into a broad smile.

"Rayanne!" she yelled, and before the other girl knew it, Orihime had wrapped her in a super tight hug.

"Air! Air!" Rayanne gasped.

"Oh, sorry!" Orihime said, blushing and pulling back. She squeaked when Rayanne hugged her, then returned it.

"How did you get in here?" Orihime asked as they separated.

"Do you mean your room or Las Noches?"

"Both, really."

Rayanne sighed. "Las Noches? Gin and Kaname caught me and brought me here three days ago."

"What? Why?" Orihime said. Rayanne shrugged.

"Hell if I know," she answered. "As for getting into your room, there's a network of passages in the walls. What about you?"

Ulquiorra stopped me in the dangai and told me that if I didn't go with him, he'd kill my friends. He gave me 12 hours and told me I could say goodbye to one person. I... picked Ichigo," Orihime said.

Rayanne thought that was strange, to say the least.

"Wow. Whereas I get chased all over the place, then knocked out with some drug," she said.

"Do any of the passages lead outside?" Orihime asked. Rayanne grinned.

"Would I still be here if they did?"

The girls talked a little longer. Orihime told Rayanne about the situation, while Rayanne asked the occasional question.

"I should be getting back to my room," Rayanne said suddenly.

"Why?" Orihime asked.

"A certain green-eyed king of no emotion told me that Aizen wants to see me," Rayanne answered grimly.

"Can I come with you? To your room, I mean," Orihime said. Rayanne shook her head.

"It's like a maze in there. Even with the correct path, it took me ten minutes to get here," she answered.

"O.. Okay. See you later, then?" Orihime asked.

"If I live." Rayanne meant it as a joke (sort of), but Orihime wrapped her arms around Rayanne in a bone-crushing hug.

"I was kidding," Rayanne squeaked.

Orihime let her go. Rayanne gave her a reassuring smile, then ran back into the passage. She reached her room out of breath and desperately hoping she wasn't late. She let loose a sigh of relief when she saw that the room was empty. Slightly weary, Rayanne flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what the hell Aizen could possibly want with her.

**'Til next time.**


	9. Tests and Cherry

**Chapter 8:**

**Tests and Cherry**

Rayanne had dozed off. She felt her heart skip a beat when the door's lock clicked. Wolf jumped too, and Rayanne soothed her as Ulquiorra entered.

"Come, woman," he ordered.

"You do realized I have a name, right?" Rayanne muttered, clambering out of bed.

She followed Ulquiorra out of the room. The first thought that entered her head was: dull. Everything was white. As they walked along, Rayanne found herself automatically memorizing the hallways. A break in Ulquiorra's pace caught her attention. It had been quick, but it was there. He'd stumbled, ever so slightly, and the expression on his face had been priceless. Rayanne grinned and had to fight back a laugh. She didn't need to guess what had happened. She made a mental note to ask who had tripped him when the creatures gathered in her room again. Suddenly Ulquiorra came to a stop. Rayanne nearly groaned when she saw why. Gin had just come around the corner.

"Hello, Ulquiorra," Gin greeted.

He looked past the Espada and saw Rayanne.

"Hi, Rayanne!" he said cheerfully. "Aizen told me he was expectin' ya!"

"Joy," Rayanne said with mock cheer.

"That's not very nice, Rayanne," Gin chided.

"Neither am I," was Rayanne's response.

Gin's smile broadened. He was happy to see a prisoner with some attitude. Rayanne didn't like that look one bit.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, have you seen Cherry anywhere? I can't find her," Gin told the Cuarto Espada.

"I haven't seen her," Ulquiorra answered.

Cherry? Rayanne thought. Suddenly there came a distant yip, followed by the pattering of tiny paws. Rayanne turned in time to be hit full on in the stomach by a leaping white fox.

"Oof!" Rayanne said, stumbling back a step and gathering the creature in her arms so it wouldn't fall.

The fox, meanwhile, didn't seem fazed in the least. It stared at Rayanne's face for a second, gave a happy bark, and started to sniff her all over.

"Cherry! Where have you been all day?" Gin said.

The fox turned from washing Rayanne's face and yipped happily. The she turned back to Rayanne and sniffed her again.

You smell funny, Cherry yipped to herself.

I'll bet, Rayanne growled, making sure the two men didn't hear.

Cherry looked at her in shock. She looked at Gin when he chuckled.

"I think she likes you," he said.

Cherry yipped again, then leaped out of Rayanne's arms and into Gin's. He laughed as the fox licked his face, while Rayanne grinned at Ulquiorra's puzzled expression. When he saw her looking at him, thought, his face became a mask again.

"I think you two had better be off. Don't want to keep Aizen waitin', do ya?" Gin said.

"Maybe only just a little," Rayanne said quietly, trying to keep her growl at a minimum.

"Oh, come on, it ain't that bad!" Gin said.

"Speak for yourself."

"Come, woman," Ulquiorra said, continuing down the hall.

"I do have a name," Rayanne muttered, walking after him.

"You tell him, Rayanne," Gin whispered.

Rayanne shot him a withering glare, then followed Ulquiorra down the hall.

Can I come? Cherry yipped from Gin's arms.

Rayanne smiled gently at her, a look that stated clearly to any animal thanks, but no. Rayanne followed Ulquiorra down several more hallways, all white and vacant. Her sharp hearing let her know that the little creatures were scuttling around in the walls, but she and her escort met no one else before they reached a large white door. Ulquiorra pushed said door open and stepped aside. Rayanne stepped passed him and into the darkened room. It appeared that the only furniture in the place was a rather large white chair, facing away from her. Wolf growled. Rayanne tightened her jaw and tamped her down tight.

"Welcome, Rayanne," Aizen said, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Thank you for coming.

He stood and glanced toward the door.

"Excuse us, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra nodded, took a step back and closed the door.

"Now, Rayanne, I need you to do something for me," Aizen said.

Rayanne, who had been watching the door, returned her gaze to him.

"Close your eyes," Aizen instructed.

Rayanne, instantly wary, complied. A few seconds later, she heard a soft humming sound, and instinctively tried to locate the source. She did, and turned her focus to it.

"Very good," Aizen encouraged. "Try to figure out what is causing the sound, and see if you can silence it."

What the hell is he trying to do? Rayanne thought. How did he know my attention shifted? I didn't even move. Instantly she reined in Wolf a little bit, and the sound became less distinct. Rayanne instead honed her other senses, but that didn't help.

"Don't hold back," Aizen said softly in her ear.

Rayanne jumped a teeny bit. She'd been so focused on the sound she hadn't sensed him move. Taking a deep breath, she let her wolf slip into her senses. She pinpointed the source of the sound, and tentatively reached out with her other senses. Rayanne figured out that the cause of the sound was a kido sphere, made of densely packed energy. Examining it closely, she managed to figure out what kind of spell it was, and quickly figured out a counter spell. Rayanne gathered some energy, and carefully directed it toward the sphere. In a second, there was silence.

"Open your eyes," Aizen said.

Rayanne did, and started when she saw Aizen standing directly in front of her. He chuckled softly.

"Your focus is amazing," he said, while Rayanne wondered what the purpose of this had been.

"You were even able to find a way to counteract the energy. How did you learn that?" Aizen asked.

Rayanne kept her eyes on him, careful not to show her emotions. Among the many things she didn't want to tell Aizen, the name of her teacher was at the top.

"An old woman in the Rukon district taught me. She could use kido, but never wanted to become a Soul Reaper. She thought I had potential, and taught me some of her tricks." It was partway true.

Aizen studied her for a second, then turned to the door when it opened. Rayanne looked, too. She saw an Espada, one she had seen walking down the halls on occasion. His pink hair made him easily recognizable.

"Hello, Szayelapporo," Aizen greeted.

Uh, oh, Rayanne thought.

"Greetings, Lord Aizen," Szayel answered with a bow as Rayanne gave him the once over.

The Espada's gaze flicked to her, and he immediately looked interested. Double uh, oh, Rayanne thought. He reminded her of Mayuri. Actually, Rayanne noticed, the two smelled similar. And when Mayuri noticed you, the best thing to do was run, as far as you could as fast as you could. Suddenly Szayel flung something told her. Rayanne immediately leaped out of the way, easily avoiding the kido and landing neatly on her feet. Szayel looked genuinely surprised. Then he smiled.

"Your response is the fastest I've seen, girl," he said.

"Lovely," Rayanne said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You'd better watch yourself, Szayel, this one's got an attitude," Gin said. He'd apparently come in through another door.

"Eavesdropping again, Gin?" Aizen asked, amused.

I hate these people, Rayanne thought.

**Just to clarify, the Cherry thing isn't my idea. There you have it! Big stuff coming in the next chapter.**


	10. Run really fast!

**Chapter 9:**

**Run.. really fast!**

Rayanne paced in her room, heart racing because of what she'd just heard. Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Renji and Rukia had invaded Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime. That wasn't a surprise, but what she'd heard from Ulquiorra and Gin in the passages was the problem. The gist of it was that Aizen didn't need Orihime. He'd kidnapped her to get Ichigo to Hueco Mundo. Rayanne didn't know what Aizen's plan for the boy was, but she didn't want anyone to stick around and find out. One major problem: she had to find a way to warn them. All of them at once. She'd been racking her brains for half and hour, and still hadn't come up with any good ideas. Suddenly, she remembered something she'd learned in her magic training. It was like dreamspeaking, but the receivers didn't have to be asleep. Rayanne still couldn't perform the link while she was awake, thought. It was the best way to warn them and avoid detection. Before she could convince herself otherwise, she jumped onto the bed, lay down and closed her eyes. When she felt herself start to fall asleep, Rayanne let her senses flow. She searched throughout Las Noches until she sensed the invaders and Orihime. Once she had them, Rayanne latched on.

Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Renji, Rukia, Orihime, can you hear me? she asked.

Confused thoughts answered her. Then, Rayanne? Ichigo asked. Rayanne made sure the others were tuned in.

Who else? she said.

How'd you get here? Renji asked.

I got caught, Rayanne answered heavily. Listen, you guys need to leave right now. Get out of Las Noches and out of Hueco Mundo. If you keep going, you'll be playing right into Aizen's hands.

Loud protests answered that, as well as questions from Uryu.

What about Orihime? Rukia asked suddenly.

She and I will meet you at the garganta you came through. Orihime, get ready to run.

Yes, ma'am, Orihime answered.

Where'd that come from? Rayanne asked.

Nothing.

Alright, everybody got it?

Yes!

Go fast, we don't have much time, Rayanne said.

Presently she woke, breaking the connection. She immediately leapt out of bed and ran to the secret door. Rayanne sprinted through the passages and burst into Orihime's room, nearly knocking the other girl over.

"Whoa, sorry! You ready to go?" Rayanne said.

"Uh, huh!" Orihime nodded.

Rayanne grabbed her hand and led her into the passage, shutting the door behind them.

"We don't have much time. The arrancars are bound to have noticed something's wrong. Ulquiorra may already be on his way down here as it is," Rayanne said, looking for a hollow lizard. The second she saw one, it turned and shot off down the tunnel. Rayanne took off after it, Orihime right on her heels.

"I thought you said none of these passages lead outside," Orihime managed to say as they ran along.

"My hollow pals told me your friends solved that problem when they broke in," Rayanne answered.

They ran along in silence. When Orihime started to fall behind, Rayanne swept her onto her back. Orihime emitted a startled sound, but kept silent when Rayanne picked up the pace. Soon, but not nearly soon enough, it seemed, they reached the opening Ichigo and the others had made when they broke in. Without an instant's hesitation, Rayanne leaped through and landed on the sand outside. She turned and gave a brief nod of thanks to the tiny hollow, then turned and ran again. When she felt they were a good distance away, she set Orihime down and took a few deep breaths.

"Wow, you're really fast!" Orihime said.

"I guess. Come on, we need to catch up with the others," Rayanne said.

Then she yelled in surprise as she felt something ram into her back, knocking her face first into the sand. Rayanne felt a searing pain in her back, and was dimly aware of Orihime's scream. It took a moment for her head to clear. When it did, she rolled over and leaped for her attacker. Ayamoshi. The instant he saw Rayanne coming at him, his eyes widened in shock, even though he was in snake form. And boy was he huge. Rayanne's attack never landed. The second Ayamoshi had seen her leap and gotten over his shock, he dove into the dunes. Rayanne did a belly flop on the sand.

"What was that? Are you okay?" Orihime asked, running over.

"Fine. Talk later," Rayanne said, standing and spitting sand from her mouth.

Actually, she was anything but fine. The pain in her back persisted, indicating that the serpent lord had slashed her with a fang. Her wolf blood would help against the poison, but she hoped he hadn't gotten much in. Ignoring the pain, Rayanne took off running again. Orihime was a step behind her.

"Want me... to heal you?" Orihime panted.

"No time," Rayanne answered stiffly.

"Ichigo!" Orihime yelled when they reached the top of the slope.

Rayanne grinned when she saw the others waiting at the bottom of the slope by an open garganta. Orihime took the lead as the two girls ran down the slope, and barreled into Ichigo at the bottom. The girls were greeted with hugs and happy exclamations (and they were introduced to Nel, Dondochakka, Pesche and Bawabawa).

"We need to go," Rukia said suddenly.

"Yeah, unless we want half of Las Noches after us," Renji said with a grin.

"Too late," came a terribly familiar voice.

Suddenly an arm snaked around Rayanne's chest, pinning her against someone. As he pinned her arms behind her back, Rayanne recognized her captor as Grimmjow. When she looked around, her blood ran cold. They were surrounded by Espadas. She saw her friends getting ready to attack, but knew it was completely useless.

"Run!" she yelled.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"We can't leave you! Are you insane?" Ichigo yelled back.

"If you fight, you're the one who's insane! Run!" Rayanne answered.

She winced when Grimmjow tightened his hold.

"Shut up," he growled.

Rayanne shot the others a glare that said it all. If you don't get the hell out of here right now, I'll kill you myself. Most of the others winced at the power of her gaze, but Ichigo took no heed.

"Let her go, Grimmjow," he snarled, holding Zangetsu in front of him.

The Sexta Espada only laughed.

"What are you going to do about it, Ichigo? You don't want to hurt your friend, do you?"

He had a point. If Ichigo attacked, Rayanne would be cut to ribbons. Ichigo realized this and lowered his sword. Rayanne closed her eyes.

Go, now! She threw every ounce of strength she had into those words, even though it killed her to say it. There's no sense in all of us getting caught.

Uryu, always the sensible one, stepped through the garganta with a tiny mental shove from Rayanne. The others required a little more compulsion, Ichigo being the worst.

"Stop it! Whatever you're doing, stop it!" Ichigo yelled at Rayanne before she could get him to step through.

"Don't make me push you any harder," Rayanne said through gritted teeth.

"But why are you..." Ichigo started.

Rayanne didn't give him time to finish. With a strong mental command, she sent him tumbling through the garganta, which sealed itself after him. Rayanne visibly exhaled.

"That was a little exhausting," she said to herself, relaxing in Grimmjow's hold.

"That wasn't the best idea, girl," Grimmjow said.

Before Rayanne knew it, he had his sword at her throat. Rayanne was fully prepared for him to kill her, but Ulquiorra spoke up.

"Stop, Grimmjow," he said. "Lord Aizen wants us to bring her to him unharmed."

Okay, that can't be good, Rayanne thought. She caught herself thinking it would be better if she grabbed Grimmjow's sword and ran it through her chest.

Now I'm having suicidal thoughts, Rayanne though with a bitter grin. What a lovely day.


	11. Capture Sucks, Recapture is Worse

**Chapter 10:**

**Captured Sucks, Recaptured is Worse**

Dumped unceremoniously on the floor in front of Aizen's throne, Rayanne glared at Grimmjow for a second before rising. Understandably she was frustrated, but she was also annoyed. Nnoitora had been taunting her the whole way back, and it took every ounce of her self control not to lash out at him.

"Welcome back, Rayanne," Aizen said.

His voice was level, but it carried easily throughout the dead silent room. If Rayanne had been in wolf form, she would have bristled. She didn't at all like the undertone.

"Why, may I ask, did you try to escape?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Rayanne saw Grimmjow smirk. Nnoitora's grin broadened, and inwardly she growled.

"I don't want to be here," Rayanne answered easily, as though she'd just told someone the time of day.

She was gratified as astonished looks passed between some of the Espadas. Rayanne saw Aizen's smile widen slightly. Not good, she thought.

"You're all dismissed," he said suddenly.

Surprise was the general emotion in the room. Then all the Espadas began to file out. Rayanne executed a quarter turn, prepared to follow Ulquiorra.

"Rayanne, stay here, please." Aizen's smooth voice stopped her dead.

Grimmjow immediately shot Rayanne a wicked grin. Rayanne cocked an eyebrow, then smiled broadly. She'd just remembered another one of her teacher's tricks. Become a puzzle your captors can't solve. Duping the Espadas would be easy. Aizen was another matter. When all the Espadas were gone, Rayanne turned to face him. Speak of the devil, again he'd moved and she hadn't noticed. He was standing at the base of the throne, apparently having been closely watching the Espada as they left.

"Well, now," he said, returning his gaze to Rayanne.

Wolf growled and Rayanne inwardly groaned. She could practically hear her hollow laughing its head off.

"Follow me, Rayanne," Aizen ordered, turning.

Seeing no other option, Rayanne obeyed sullenly. Aizen led her to the back of the throne room and down a narrow hallway. Rayanne always stayed a good distance behind him, anxiety increasing with each step. If you can think of something scarier happening to you, let's hear it. When Aizen stepped out of the passage into a room, she hesitated an instant before following. Rayanne recognized the room she entered as the one she'd been in when she'd *ahem* met Szayel. Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat when Aizen stood near the chair. He made a complicated series of motions with his hand, and Rayanne tensed as a little column rose out of the floor, several segments aligned like stairs at the top.

Rayanne went deathly still. She hardly even dared to breathe. The energy that gathered suddenly in the room was… cold. But Rayanne felt something else as well. A presence. Dark, cold, and full of malice. A shiver passed up her spine, and it had nothing to do with the sudden drop in temperature. Rayanne didn't want to do anything to attract this _thing's _attention. She realized that the orb in the column was the source of all this dark energy.

The Hogyoku? Rayanne thought. That can't be. This energy… it's familiar somehow, but…

"So you recognize it. This is the Hogyoku," Aizen said, watching her.

Rayanne glanced at him, barely keeping herself from shaking. Her wound throbbed, seemingly the only part of her that wasn't freezing cold. Her wolf half was completely terrified, and Rayanne was barely keeping her in check. Then she felt it again. A stirring in her inner world. It temporarily filled her with warmth, but it was soon gone.

"Come here, Rayanne," Aizen commanded, soft but firm.

Rayanne wanted nothing more than to run. She wanted to get as far from here as possible. But since she didn't really have any other option, she took a small breath to calm herself, and walked forward until she was standing a few feet in front of Aizen.

"Now, you won't try to escape again, will you?" Aizen asked, a small smile carrying a hint of arrogance on his face.

"N…No," Rayanne answered.

I won't try next time, she thought. I _will_.

"Good," Aizen said, smiling warmly.

Rayanne easily detected the danger behind that look. Suddenly she became aware of a throbbing pain in her right arm. With a start, she realized that Ayamoshi had cut her arm, too. Lost in that realization, she winced the slightest bit when Aizen gently grasped her right wrist. Still, he noticed. Rayanne had to keep herself from struggling when he turned her wrist and gently pushed up her sleeve, revealing a diagonal slash across the lower half of Rayanne's arm. Rayanne barely kept herself from grimacing. It wasn't bleeding, but it was definitely exhibiting signs of the poison. The skin around it burned an angry red.

"Well, now. Where did you get this?" Aizen asked.

"I didn't know I had it," Rayanne answered.

It was partially true. Relief washed through her when Aizen covered the wound again, but that instantly changed to panic when Aizen removed the Hogyoku from its container. Rayanne recoiled, doing her best not to yelp. She felt that strange presence more intensely now, and her wolf was going nuts. Rayanne carefully watched the orb, as though staring at it would tell her why she felt this way.

"Look at me, Rayanne," Aizen said gently. "Relax."

Rayanne took a deep breath, allowing her muscles to relax. Inside, however, she tensed.

"Very good," Aizen murmured.

Suddenly he brought her hand to meet his other hand. As the Hogyoku came into contact with her skin, Rayanne felt the darkness creeping into her. Within a second, she felt that awful presence in her mind. Rayanne didn't scream, though she wanted to. A small whine snuck past her lips before she could quell it. Just as suddenly, she felt something stop the advancing darkness, and actually start to push it back.

What are you doing here? A furious roar, like gravel sliding on a road, sounded in Rayanne's mind.

Get out, now. That voice was angry as well, and distinctly feminine. Rayanne also recognized it as belonging to her mentor.

Shannon? she asked.

The energy backlash had been too much for her to handle, though, and Rayanne slipped into unconsciousness.

**Tah-dah! If you want to know who Shannon is right now, visit my profile page. If you do, you'll probably be able to figure out who the dark presence is that Rayanne felt if you look at my other characters.**

**Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Tite Kubo. However, Rayanne and the others are mine and can be used only with my permission.**


	12. Trouble

**Chapter 11:**

**More Problems**

Rayanne woke to a sour taste in her mouth and feeling slightly warm. For a few addled seconds she didn't remember what had happened. It came flying back in a rush. Aizen had shown her the Hogyoku, but she'd felt a strangely familiar dark presence. When Aizen had made her touch the little sphere, that darkness had started searching her mind for something. Then, Shannon, of all creatures, had come to the rescue, pushing that awful cold from Rayanne's mind. With that realization, Rayanne's eyes flew open. She tried to move, much to her instant chagrin. Pain jackknifed through her back and up her side, moving quickly to her arms and legs. With a groan, she returned to her original position, on her back staring at the ceiling.

"Don't move too much, girl. You don't want to injure yourself, do you?" Szayelapporo said, a teasing note in his voice.

Rayanne turned her head to glare at him.

"Not amused," she said.

"Still feeling well enough to argue, I see," Aizen said, his usual arrogant smirk on his face.

Rayanne bit back a sharp retort. Instead she heaved a sigh and looked back up at the ceiling. With a start she realized her back and arm had healed, mainly due to a lack of stinging in those areas. Aizen chuckled at her startled expression.

"I was wondering when you'd notice. Szayel is right, though. Your wounds have healed, but the poison is still in your blood."

Rayanne didn't bother with asking how he knew about the poison. Knowing him, he'd had Szayel assess her condition while she was unconscious. As though on some unspoken cue, Szayel left the room. Aizen walked over to Rayanne. He smiled at her 'now what' expression.

"I'm going to heal you. Keep as still as you can, this can be painful."

Rayanne held back a sigh, but gave a very tiny nod to indicate she understood. Aizen gently pushed Rayanne's top up a few inches, exposing a finely toned stomach. Rayanne held back a smile, remembering when Shannon had tried to teach her a similar method, which resulted in Rayanne laughing and blushing furiously. She'd been extremely ticklish back then. Aizen gently placed his hands on her stomach, and Rayanne felt his reiatsu rise. He directed it into his hands and into Rayanne. Rayanne held her breath as the poison was neutralized. It felt like hot, flaming leaves were lying in her blood. Aizen slowly spread his hands apart, lightly resting his fingertips on her sides for a second. Then he started to move up, working slowly and steadily. Rayanne arched her back and groaned softly as his hands became level with her heart. Her fists clenched on the sheets as Aizen directed his energy toward her heart. The pain flared for an instant, then vanished, leaving Rayanne short of breath. Aizen drew back, and Rayanne covered her stomach again. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Aizen said, turning.

The door opened and Ulquiorra walked in, pulling Orihime in behind him. Rayanne bit back several choice words and settled for biting her lip. Upon seeing her friend, Orihime let out a startled squeak, but said no more due to a warning look from Rayanne.

"Welcome back, Orihime," Aizen said silkily.

Behind him, Rayanne didn't even try to hide her eye roll. Orihime giggled softly despite herself, and Rayanne did her best to look innocent as Aizen glanced back at her. Okay, 'best' isn't entirely accurate. It was more like she had a classic 'what?' look in her eyes. Aizen realized that this girl intrigued him more so than he'd previously realized. Rayanne caught the change in attitude and flinched a bit. Oh, jeez, I knew that would come back and bite me, Rayanne thought.

"I trust you had a pleasant time with your friends?" Aizen asked Orihime.

Orihime compressed her lips and didn't answer. Aizen laughed softly, then said, "Ulquiorra, Orihime is to be shown to her previous quarters."

The Cuarto Espada nodded.

"You are another matter, I'm afraid," Aizen said, turning to Rayanne.

Uh, oh, she thought. Before she knew it, Aizen had grabbed her collar and lifted her into the air, turning about 90 degrees to give himself more room to maneuver. Rayanne inhaled sharply, but the noise was cut off when Aizen tightened his hold.

"No!" Orihime yelled, trying to reach her friend.

Ulquiorra held her back, wrapping an arm around her waist. Orihime still struggled.

"Please, Aizen! Please don't hurt her!" Orihime begged, tears shining in her eyes as Rayanne struggled vainly in Aizen's hold, trying without success to shove him away.

"There's no need to worry. This won't hurt her," Aizen smiled as Rayanne fixed him with a deadly glare. "Not physically, at least," he added.

With startling speed, Aizen reached forward and gently grasped Rayanne's neck, pressing lightly with his fingertips so she couldn't fight without getting strangled. Rayanne gasped and closed her eyes as visions began to fill her head. Friends from the Seireitei, Ichigo and his friends. Momo suddenly appeared, dying slowly and crying for help. More visions materialized, mainly of Rayanne's friends injured and dying, all of them making her writhe in Aizen's grip. Suddenly Rayanne's eyes snapped open. She went rigid for an instant, as she felt a coldness welling up inside her. It crept slowly up her legs and filled her entire being. She closed her eyes again, and the visions reappeared. But now they were a thousand times worse. Rayanne saw the Rukongai engulfed in flames, people fleeing from beasts as black as a starless night. She saw the Seireitei as nothing but ash, and every single Soul Reaper lay on the ground, unmoving. She saw herself moving through the remains, then stopped and stared at something. It was Captain Yamamoto, lying in a spreading pool of blood. Her friends lay about him, all dead with throats slashed, chests ripped open or hearts cut out. The head captain himself had been run through with a blade rich in dark magic. Blackness encased the wound, dark tendrils branching out all over his body.

Rayanne, a familiar voice whispered to her.

Shannon? Rayanne asked desperately.

Who else? the soft voice laughed. Ignore these visions. He's teasing you, messing with your head and playing on your fears.

You're not talking about Aizen. It was a statement, not a question.

Who else kills like this? Who else has this power? Shannon asked. Ladin knows you're trapped in a world shrouded in shadow. He's using that to his advantage. Don't let him.

With that, she was gone, but so were the visions. Rayanne opened her eyes, feeling weak and sick all over again. Aizen had lowered her to the ground. She tried to stand, but failed miserably. Aizen chuckles as she stumbled, then caught her by the arm and pulled her to him.

"Don't resist, and don't try fighting, Rayanne. It won't do you any good," he whispered in her ear.

Who **is **this? Shannon said telepathically. I haven't even met him and I want to strangle him.

How would you? You don't have hands, Rayanne said. Wait...

Magic, they said in unison.

I thought you already knew about this guy, Rayanne teased.

You know what I meant, Shannon laughed. Jeez, he's such a conceited blowhard.

Rayanne almost laughed aloud at that, and almost managed to slip her hands free. Aizen tightened his hold, which served to frustrate Rayanne and amuse him. She went stock still when Aizen held her wrists in his right hand, and with his left gently caressed her neck. His visions had been nowhere near as bad as Ladin's, but she had no wish to experience them again.

"I told you not to resist," he murmured. "If you do, I may have to get a little rough with you. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Rayanne said, allowing her voice to shake a little bit.

"Good," Aizen said, straightening.

Rayanne dared to glance at Orihime and Ulquiorra. She was just in time to see Ulquiorra move his hand from Orihime's mouth. Orihime had obviously been crying and Rayanne vaguely remembered hearing her friend yelling to her as the first visions had appeared. Suddenly she felt absolutely exhausted. Only Aizen's firm hold kept her from falling over. As he felt her collapse in his arms, he smiled to himself.

"Ulquiorra, please escort Orihime back to her room. Then tell Szayel to come here for a moment," he ordered.

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra said, leading a numb Orihime out of the room.

**0.0 Szayel! OMG!**


	13. Lab Day?

**Chapter 12:**

**Did I Mention I Hate Labs?**

Rayanne hadn't been able to stay conscious long, succumbing to darkness soon after Orihime had been led away. When she came to, she had to resist the urge to scream. She may not have been 12th division, but she knew what a lab looked like. She was lying on a table, tied down with black straps.

"Ah, good. You're awake," Szayel said, turning away from some test tubes.

He came to stand by her and carefully turned her wrist inside the strap. Holding her arm still, he inserted a needle into her vein, attaching a tube. Rayanne realized he was taking a blood sample and looked away so her wolf wouldn't panic. When she felt Szayel remove the needle she turned her head again, only to see him take out another syringe, this one filled with a purplish liquid. Uh, oh, she thought, tensing immediately. Szayel noticed and laughed.

"Don't panic. It's an immobilizing drug," he said.

"You don't call that cause for alarm?" Rayanne spat back, fear bursting out as anger.

Szayel laughed again. "I'm just going to examine you, and I don't want you being too tense. I'm also interested in seeing your reaction to this drug," Szayel said, sliding the needle into a vein in her wrist.

Rayanne felt the drug sweeping through her system almost immediately. Her muscles relaxed, and soon she'd gone completely limp. Szayel removed her bindings and pressed down on her right arm. He quickly worked his way up, smirking as he noted the red marks on her neck.

"Still being stubborn, girl?" the Octavo Espada teased, touching the marks.

Rayanne's blood boiled, and she curled her hand into a fist. Realizing what she'd done, she quickly went limp again. Luckily Szayel hadn't noticed. As he continued his examination of her, Rayanne tested her mobility. She realized that the drug had no effect on her. The problem was she didn't know how long the drug was supposed to last, so for the sake of disguise, she stayed still. Rayanne got the sense the drug was supposed to be permanent when Szayel bound her again and injected her with another liquid. Soon a pins and needles sensation filled her entire body, and she flexed her muscles to get rid of it.

"You have a quick response to both of those mixtures, girl. You may not bore me after all," Szayel said, smiling wickedly.

Before Rayanne could respond, he'd grabbed a small knife from a little stand and made a neat cut on her arm, going from elbow to wrist.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Rayanne said.

"Quiet, girl. Did you think I had healed your wounds?" Szayel asked, placing the bloody knife back on the stand.

What? Rayanne thought. Uh, oh...

"Your wounds had practically healed by the time I saw to you. I want to determine whether that was a healing kido or a type of ability you possess," Szayel told her.

Then he returned to his little chemistry experiment. Damn, Rayanne thought, looking down at her bleeding arm. After about five minutes, Szayel came back and gently washed the blood from the cut. Although now it wasn't so much a cut as a nearly healed wound that looked weeks old.

"Very interesting," Szayel commented softly.

Without warning, he firmly clasped Rayanne's arm and reopened the cut. Rayanne clenched her teeth, a small groan edging through them. Szayel used small pins to hold back the edges of the wound to prevent it from healing.

"Don't say it. You want to see how blood loss affects me," Rayanne said.

"Exactly. You're smarter than you look," Szayel grinned. "Now I must go and see to some things. Try to stay alive until I return, I may have severed a few blood vessels."

Rayanne sighed softly as Szayel walked out of the room. When she heard the door shut, she closed her eyes. The pain in her arm lessened gradually, but her blood hitting the open air stung like hell. Rayanne wished heartily she was in Soul Society with her friends, or with the dragons on the mountain. She smiled weakly, remembering when she'd gone with the dragons to the world of the living to stay in the Rocky Mountains. It had been the middle of summer, and the mountain range had been absolutely breathtaking. Rayanne exhaled slowly to calm herself. Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep, dreaming of flight without wings.


	14. Reunion

**Chapter 13:**

**Reunion**

When Rayanne woke, she immediately sneezed. Then she sat up with a start.

"What the hell..." she breathed.

She was lying by the river in Karakura Town. Quickly she looked down at her right arm. There was no trace of the wound.

"I thought I sensed a familiar presence here," came a familiar voice, tinged with laughter.

Rayanne gasped and turned her head toward the source. A girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen was walking toward her along the river. She had golden brown hair that shone in the sunlight, soft sapphire eyes and a warm smile. As if her oddly colored eyes didn't set her apart, there was her clothing. The girl wore the leather armor of a rogue warrior. Her boots went up to her shins, and she had snugly fitting yet flexible armguards and leather plates on her legs. A smooth set of chest armor, a sword and sheath, and a dark blue cloth tied around her waist and hanging past her knees completed the look. Rayanne knew from experience that the sash hid a pair of choke cords, and that this girl was perfectly capable of using both the sword and the cords.

"Shannon," Rayanne breathed, smiling and getting to her feet.

Then she was trotting along the riverbank. Shannon stopped under the bridge. The two met and embraced. When they broke apart, they looked one another over with critical eyes.

"You've been practicing," Shannon said, smile growing broader.

"Yeah," Rayanne grinned back. "But what are you doing here? I thought you guys were in Delan."

Shannon grimaced. "That changed kind of quickly. Shadow beasts have been flocking to Earth, the most powerful of which coming to Karakura Town."

"What? Why?" Rayanne asked, startled.

"Ladin is probably going to try making a move for Earth, and is trying to get a foothold here," Shannon answered.

"Oh, wow," Rayanne muttered.

"Yeah, I know. How could he be so stupid, and obvious on top of that?" called another voice.

Rayanne and Shannon looked up to the road. A teenage girl with mid-length dirt blonde hair was standing there, a few other teens behind her. They too wore rogue's armor.

"Alexia!" Rayanne smiled.

"And me!" a black-haired teen stepped forward, grinning.

"Hi, Tirel!" Rayanne laughed.

She couldn't believe it. Her Guardian friends were in Karakura Town! Even Shannon was here!

"Are you okay, Rayanne? You look kind of beat," Tirel said as his group descended the slope.

"You want me to tell them?" Shannon asked after a bit of a pause.

"No, it's okay," Rayanne answered.

She proceeded to explain, in detail, the whole story from her getting caught in the mountain forest to her waking up by the river. By the end, all the Guardians weren't too happy with Aizen or his followers.

"Do you guys need any help with patrol?" Rayanne asked when she'd finished.

"We're actually calling it a day. You're more than welcome to come with us back to our base of operations, as we call it, though," Shannon answered.

"Okay!" Rayanne agreed readily.

So, clustering together, talking and laughing, the Guardians turned and walked down the riverbank. Rayanne stayed up front and talked with Shannon for a little bit, and when their patrol met with another, fell back to talk with the others.

"Hi, Rayanne!" Eran said when she fell into step beside him. Right now he looked like an average teenage guy with light brown hair, but Rayanne knew that behind this face was a handsome strawberry roan unicorn. Mentally she slapped herself.

"Hi, Eran!" Rayanne greeted, the smile on her face growing wider.

"I'm sorry about that whole thing with Aizen. It sounded really rough," Eran said.

"How'd you hear about that? I didn't see you with Alexia's group," Rayanne wondered.

"Telepathic links and gossip. Pretty soon the whole army is going to know," Eran answered.

"Oh."

"Yeah, we're upset with Aizen, but we're pretty angry at Ladin for trying to search your mind and showing you those visions," Eran said.

"Oh, boy," Rayanne muttered.

She felt a little red seep into her face as he laughed and leaned against her.

"Come on. Most of them won't even mention it. It's the other trainees you need to worry about," he assured her.

They walked in silence for a little while as night started to fall. Then Rayanne felt something on her arm and glanced down. Eran had slipped his arm around hers. It must have been an unconscious gesture because the next second Rayanne saw him blush so heavily she could see it in the gathering dark. She smiled, blushing a bit as well. But still, she leaned on him the slightest bit, feeling his warmth on her side as the streetlamps lit on the road above.

**Another chapter done! For the record: Szayel, go to hell! Ugh!**


	15. Morning

**Chapter 14:**

**Morning**

Rayanne woke in a beautiful tropical forest. Well, it was an extra dimensional space the Guardians had created in an old house. This was their base as well as their current home. Rayanne stretched, then realized she was in her Guardian form: a purple-indigo coat, white mane, hooves and horn. She was startled for an instant, then guessed this was only natural. Rayanne wasn't born a Guardian. Shannon had turned her halfway when Rayanne had become her apprentice. Being around the others must have caused her to transform without realizing. Rayanne looked around, wondering what a human would think if they should walk in right now. Unicorns, dragons and pegasus of pretty much every color imaginable slept either in trees or nestled on the leafy ground. Golden griffins and hippogriffs of every shade of gray completed the ensemble. Rayanne checked the clearing where Shannon and her mate Len had been sleeping. The white unicorns were early risers, and were probably already out and about. That was confirmed when Rayanne found the clearing empty. When she headed back, she saw that a lot of the others were already awake, too. When she looked back at the place she'd slept, Rayanne would've blushed if she could.

Eran lay beside a flat patch of leaves, snoozing comfortably. Rayanne remembered they'd lain down to talk, and must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Thinking it was time he got up, Rayanne trotted over and nudged him with a hoof. No response. She tried again a couple times, then went to the strawberry roan unicorn's head. Rayanne put her nose down and snorted in his face. Eran jumped to his feet, cream-colored horn nearly catching in Rayanne's mane.

"What the? Rayanne!" he stuttered.

Rayanne laughed. "I guess you're not a morning person."

"You've been hanging around Shannon too long," Eran muttered.

"I heard that," Shannon said, trotting up behind them, making the other two jump.

They greeted each other, briefly, then Rayanne said, "Shannon, I think I should go back to my friends."

"I'm inclined to agree. If they find out you escaped and haven't gone back, they'll get suspicious," Shannon replied.

That basically settled it. After saying good-bye and arranging to meet some old friends, Rayanne was on her way to Ichigo's house. But before she left, she asked one more question of her mentor.

"Shannon, how did I wake up in Karakura?"

"Were you asleep, perchance?" Shannon asked, smiling.

"Yes," Rayanne answered slowly.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Well... my dragon friends and.. we were flying over Karakura. But then I fell off Cinder and I could fly on my own. I dove into the river and was swimming with a group of water sprites.. and then I woke up," Rayanne answered.

"There you have it," Shannon grinned.

"Huh?"

"Dreams are pathways for Guardians, Rayanne. If you have the right mindset, your dreams can send you pretty much anywhere. Your dream was mixed with such powerful emotions that enabled you to cross between worlds. That must have been a strong wish," Shannon said.

"Yeah," Rayanne smiled, looking up toward the clouds. "It was."

**Okay, if you didn't get that explanation, here's the thing in a nutshell. If a Guardian's dream is powerful enough, they will wake where the dream took place. That's the best I can do, so I hope it was enough. Ciao!**


	16. Jackal

**Chapter 15:**

**Jackal**

Rayanne walked along the halls of Karakura High, wishing she had pockets to put her hands in. She hadn't seen much of the Guardians in the past week, but she knew they were still here. Ichigo and the others had been delighted with her escape, but were still upset over Orihime being recaptured.

"Hey, Rayanne!" Rukia called, running up.

"Hey," Rayanne answered.

She noticed Ichigo, Chad, Uryu and Renji coming up. Hitsugaya, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Rangiku joined them.

"Big crowd," Ichigo noticed.

"We need to talk about the threat of the arrancars," Hitsugaya stated.

"I'll say you do," Grimmjow said.

The group turned to face him, Nnoitora, Ulquiorra, Yammy and Harribel, plus a few lesser arrancars.

"Yeesh, I think this is overdoing it," Rayanne muttered as she and most of the others went into their Soul Reaper forms.

Rayanne launched herself into the fray with Rukia, the two of them going for the lesser arrancars. Rayanne was a bit surprised with how easy this fight seemed now, then remembered she'd run with the Guardians, who fought creatures much worse than arrancars. When she'd killed her opponent, Rayanne turned and saw that Ichigo had been pinned to the floor by Grimmjow, and Nnoitora has both Renji and Ikkaku cornered. Without thought, she cast a kido at Nnoitora and flung herself at Grimmjow. At the last possible second, the blue-haired Espada turned, grabbed her ankle, and threw her against the far wall.

"Rayanne!" Ichigo called.

Rayanne groaned softly, stars bursting in her vision, grateful for the breeze blowing through the hall.

Breeze?

Rayanne opened her eyes. The window was open, and someone stood in front of it. Rayanne's breath caught in her throat.

It was Aizen.

He walked toward her, smiling. Rayanne tried to back away, but felt the wall pressing against her back.

"Hello, Rayanne," Aizen said softly, crouching beside her.

Rayanne tried to speak, but her mouth and throat were dry. Dome on, can't anybody sense this guy? Or see him at least? Rayanne flinched as Aizen placed his fingertips on the side of her neck.

"Hush, now," he soothed as she tried to move away. "Sleep."

Rayanne's world went black.


	17. What the Hell?

**Chapter 16:**

**What the Hell?**

Rayanne woke to a dizzy spell and a headache. Groaning, she sat up. She was lying on a bed in a room in Las Noches, she knew. But this wasn't her old room. For starters, it had a table and two chairs. It also had a small dresser and a tiny bookcase. Rayanne listened, but could hear no sound no matter how much she strained. She threw the covers off and stood, walking over to the dresser. Of course there was nothing in it but white Las Noches uniforms. She scanned the books, none of which captured her interest. There was a window in the room, but it was pretty high up and the walls were completely smooth. A further search revealed no hidden door, and the main door proved to be frustratingly firm. So Rayanne took to pacing. Like a caged wolf, she noted wryly. When she felt that she would break something in her agitated state, the door opened. Rayanne immediately came to a standstill as Aizen entered the room.

"Awake, I see," he said, smirking.

"With a mood to match," Rayanne muttered.

"You do seem a little restless," Aizen agreed.

He came to stand over her and gently grasped her chin. He lifted her head up to meet his gaze. Aizen noted her wariness and defiance, and he chuckled softly.

"You are a strange one, Rayanne," he murmured.

Rayanne's annoyance spiked, and Wolf raised her head.

"Why did you bring me here? And why the big distraction?" Rayanne asked.

Aizen smirked. "This."

Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her. No quick peck on the cheek, either. Rayanne's eyes widened in shock, and she emitted a sound of protest. She tried to push herself away, but Aizen's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her to him. After what seemed like ages, he pulled away, leaving Rayanne gasping and disgusted.

"What the..." Rayanne breathed.

She realized what had happened when she noted she could barely stand.

"You drained my reiatsu," Rayanne said, stunned.

"You catch on quickly," Aizen smiled.

His arm was still around her waist. Quickly he moved it up to her shoulders, and before Rayanne could react, he'd picked her up bridal style.

"Let go of me!" Rayanne said with as much strength as she could muster, struggling very weakly.

"If I did that, you'd fall," Aizen answered smoothly, carrying her back toward the bed.

Rayanne knew that was true, but that didn't stop her from struggling. Aizen placed her on the bad and lay his hand on her forehead.

"You're not ill at all. I'm impressed," Aizen remarked.

Rayanne didn't answer, being practically too weak to move. Suddenly Aizen gently pulled her collar down, revealing a scar. It was a few inches below the base of her neck, in the middle of Rayanne's chest. It resembled a star. Rayanne had gotten in fairly recently, and she knew it would heal a bit more, though never completely. Aizen gently ran his fingertips over the old wound, making Rayanne gasp softly and wince at the sharp pain. Aizen pulled back, much to her relief, but he still visually examined the wound.

"Why didn't you report to fourth company?" Aizen asked.

"What makes you think I didn't?" Rayanne growled.

"There's no trace of healing reiatsu," he answered.

Probably should have thought of that, Rayanne thought. She hissed softly when Aizen placed his fingertips on the scar again.

"Keep still," he murmured.

Rayanne felt his energy gather at his hand. Suddenly, a small tendril of that energy was traveling through the scar and into her.

Rayanne gave a small cry of shock and pain. She wasn't exactly sure what Aizen was doing, but it hurt, like someone had driven a rather large splinter into her chest. As Aizen continued to push his energy into her, Rayanne's mind raced to remember what Shannon had taught her about this sort of thing. A barrier, Rayanne remembered. A strong one. Quickly Rayanne erected several barriers, mainly around her heart and mind, effectively blocking her captor's advance. Said man chuckled and pulled back. Rayanne exhaled softly.

"You really are different, Rayanne," Aizen smiled. He touched her forehead again. "I take back what I said about you not being ill," he said, withdrawing his hand. "I'd imagine today's events have taken their toll on your strength."

"Ya think?" Rayanne managed to choke out.

Aizen chuckled, straightening.

"Rest," he said, walking to the door. "I'll return soon."

With that, he walked out. Rayanne heard the click of the lock, and promptly fell asleep.

**Okay, kinda sorta scary. Gaah! I freaked myself out!**


	18. Rogue

**Chapter 17:**

**Rogue**

Rayanne lay in her room, staring at the ceiling. She'd been in Hueco Mundo for about five days, and this time around had been a little more eventful. For starters, when she'd let her wolf rage, she'd gotten out and destroyed half the east wing of Las Noches. That included the cameras, and no one had any clue what had happened. Rayanne had managed to break her lock a couple more times after that, annoying Ulquiorra and amusing pretty much everyone else. It frustrated her, though, because she couldn't find a way out of this damn place. Now she decided to try a new technique. Rayanne slid out of bed and slid a hairpin into the lock on the door. After fiddling with it for a couple of seconds, she heard a satisfying click. Quickly she pushed the door open, checked the hall, and ran like hell.

xxXXxx

An hour later, she still wasn't doing too well. Worse, insofar as she was running like hell from a shadow beast that looked like a giant demented cat. Thinking fast, Rayanne whirled, sword in hand. She blocked a deadly swipe of night-black claws. Then she bent over backward, flipping the monster into the wall. It recovered quickly, and managed to swipe her arm before she cut a leg off. The monster howled in pain. Rayanne stabbed an eye out, and was rewarded for her trouble with a vicious bite on the leg. Rayanne yelled in surprise and pain, then bit her lip, remembering where she was. Mustering some strength, Rayanne leaped into the air and executed a perfect back flip, slashing with her sword. When she landed, the monster was in two pieces. Those halves shattered into countless bits of shadow a second later. That taken care of, Rayanne decided to slip back to her room before she got caught. Following her energy traces, Rayanne finally found her door. Inside, she found a very unwelcome sight.

Gin, Aizen and Ulquiorra were all standing in the middle of the room talking. Damn, damn, damn, damn, Rayanne thought as they turned to look at her. Awkward, Rayanne thought. Then she decided to wing it.

"What?" she said. "I didn't break it. I picked it."

Gin's grin broadened, and Aizen cocked an eyebrow. Ulquiorra looked momentarily surprised, but that was it. Rayanne contemplated running again, but decided against it.

"Gin, Ulquiorra, could you excuse me for a moment? Rayanne and I need to have a talk," Aizen said.

Uh, oh, Rayanne thought.

"Certainly, Aizen," Gin answered, turning to the door. "Have fun, Rayanne," he said as he walked by her to the door, Ulquiorra passing him.

"Hard to see that coming," Rayanne muttered, rolling her eyes as the door closed.

Before she'd even taken another breath, she found herself lying on the bed, pinned by Aizen's grip on her arms. Rayanne yelped in shock and tried to rise, but Aizen held her down. In about three seconds he'd placed a binding kido on her wrists and ankles.

"Am I that bad?" Rayanne asked rhetorically.

She tensed and closed her eyes as Aizen gently ran his fingertips down the side of her face to her neck. She heard him chuckle softly.

"You carry yourself well, for someone so young," he said softly in her ear.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rayanne asked. He smiled.

"There's more than one weak point on everyone, Rayanne," Aizen answered. He leaned in until his mouth was inches from her ear. "I believe it would best suit my interests to find all of yours," he said softly.

Oh, no, Rayanne thought, growing more tense. She threw her barriers in place just to be safe. Aizen placed his right hand over her scar, keeping his left hear her side. Rayanne felt his energy gather again, and then she felt it clash with her barriers. She gasped in pain, feeling as if she'd been stabbed and punched at the same time. Aizen moved his hand to Rayanne's side, placing his left hand on her other side. He moved first down her right side, then her left. Whenever he felt a "weak point", he would rest his hand there for a moment and push some of his energy into Rayanne. Rayanne herself was in terrible pain by this point, squirming and struggling against the binding kido. She didn't scream, though. She didn't want to give Aizen that satisfaction. Suddenly Aizen brought his right hand up to rest on her scar again. This time he didn't wait. Rayanne felt his reiatsu crash against her barriers, and it hurt like white hot flame. Rayanne did her best to stay silent, but that wish had flown out the window. She screeched in pain. It only lasted an instant, then she grit her teeth and settled for a whine. A really wolfish one. Aizen chuckled and drew back.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you may be too stubborn for your own good?" he asked.

"More than once," Rayanne answered stiffly.

Aizen smiled. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. Rayanne tried to pull away, but Aizen grasped her neck, preventing her from struggling. So Rayanne shut her eyes and hoped this would be over with quickly. She tried to push him away when she felt her reiatsu start to weaken, but Aizen gently and firmly held her wrists in his left hand. Suddenly a thought occurred to Rayanne, strange and unbidden, but true. My first kiss was this psycho, she thought. Great. Aizen gently stroked her cheek before he pulled away. Rayanne went limp, almost unconscious. Aizen smiled again.

"Rest now, Rayanne," he spoke softly. "Don't try to run again. Things could be worse than this."

Rayanne barely heard him before the blackness swept over her, the wings of a raven on a pitch black night.


	19. Almost Finished

**Chapter 18:**

**Almost Finished**

When Rayanne opened her eyes, she was surprised to see a ball of white fur curled up next to her. The shape shifter raised her head and saw that the little fuzz ball was indeed Cherry, sleeping like a rock by Rayanne's stomach. When Rayanne moved, however, the little fox uncurled and crawled up to her chest, pressing against the girl. Rayanne sighed and settled back down, listening to Cherry's breathing. Abruptly she sat up. Cherry woke with a start and a yip of protest. Rayanne heard the definite crack of the lock breaking, and then the door crashed open. To her astonishment and horror, Ayamoshi stepped into the room.

"Greetings, Princess Amenaki," He hissed mockingly, using Rayanne's formal title.

"What are you doing here, Lord Ayamoshi?" Rayanne asked, also mockingly polite, although she did bare her teeth. Cherry cowered under the blankets.

"Simple. I've come to kill you," the serpent lord hissed, his tongue already forked.

"What exactly would you gain from my death?" Rayanne asked.

"You'd be out of the way," was the answer.

What? Rayanne thought. That was all she had time to think. Ayamoshi's transformation was almost instantaneous. The snake struck with lightning speed, but Rayanne was ready. She leaped just before Ayamoshi's mouth snapped shut. Rayanne shifted in midair, the change rarely coming so fluidly. The wolf fell on top of the huge snake, fastening her teeth into the skin beneath the scales on the back of his neck. The snake threw his head back with a furious hiss, thrashing around in an attempt to throw the gray wolf off. Rayanne hung on, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

Ayamoshi suddenly fell on his side, still thrashing and hissing. In doing so, he managed to wrap one of his muscular coils around Rayanne's back leg. Ayamoshi pulled Rayanne off, but she took a couple scales with her. The snake wrapped the wolf in his coils, getting deep scratches all over his body due to her struggles. In all this commotion, Cherry dashed unnoticed out the door.

Ayamoshi tried to bite Rayanne again. She was ready for it. She sank her claws into his nose and snarled in his face. Ayamoshi reared backward with a loud hiss. Rayanne leaped onto his face, digging in with her claws and snapping at his eyes. She missed, and the serpent lord flung her off. Rayanne yelped as her head collided with the sharp edge of the dresser. She leaped out of the way as Ayamoshi struck again. He lashed out with his tail, catching Rayanne by surprise. She growled in pain as his scales cut as deep as a blade. The wound went from her left shoulder to her left light, cutting nearly to her bones. Pain shot through her left foreleg, but Rayanne ignored it. She turned and snarled at the snake, who was turning from the remains of the dresser. He hissed at the wolf, and then they charged.

Rayanne latched onto Ayamoshi's face, but not before he'd slashed her right foreleg with one of his venomous fangs. Snarling, Rayanne bit down hard above his right eye, having again missed her target. Ayamoshi shrieked in pain, tossing his head this way and that to get the wolf off. Rayanne's claws had found firm purchase in his skin, however, and were holding fast. If he flung his attacker, he risked getting half his face ripped off. So the snake lord chose another plan of attack. He rolled.

Rayanne's breath rushed from her chest when Ayamoshi slammed her into the floor. The snake rolled again and again, each time driving the wolf's breath away. Suddenly the young princess leapt from her opponent's head, twisted in midair, and went for the throat. She managed to deliver a deep scratch before Ayamoshi reared back. He struck out with his tail again, wounding her back and right side with numerous small blows delivered in rapid succession. These cuts weren't as deep as the first, but there were quite a few of them, and they were deep enough to bleed profusely. Before she could fully recover, Ayamoshi knocked Rayanne into the wall with a well-aimed blow to the chest.

Rayanne managed to get to her paws again, coughing up blood, every inch of her body seeming to be in some sort of agony. The poison coursed through her, giving her blood a black tinge. So far it wasn't having too much effect since Rayanne was bleeding so much, but it was making her muscles ache and slowing her reactions. Rayanne knew she had to end this fight now, or she was dead.

Her wolf knew it, she knew it, her hollow and Kirazuki knew it, and the mysterious presence hidden in the depths of Rayanne's inner world knew it. All that mental power helped dull the pain and allowed lots of Rayanne's two-legged self help her wolf think. When Ayamoshi darted forward again, Rayanne dashed forward as well. When he moved to strike, Rayanne jumped into the air, twisting as she slipped beneath the snake. The wolf dragged her claws along her enemy's soft underbelly, cutting deep. As Rayanne tumbled from beneath Ayamoshi, he screeched in agony. Rayanne tried to get her paws beneath her again, but she slipped in a puddle of her own blood. The wolf didn't even try to get up again, just focusing on breathing. By either skill or dumb luck, she'd succeeded in driving Ayamoshi off. Rayanne's paws scrabbled weakly at the floor, trying to find purchase. No such luck. Finally she lay quietly, bleeding from her many wounds. The wolf took a strangled breath, coughing up more blood, and her eyes slipped closed. Moments later, she went completely limp.

xxXXxx

Cherry ran along the halls, searching desperately for one person. She soon was barking like mad, much to the astonishment of the arrancars she passed. In a few minutes, she decided to save her voice. Suddenly she stopped and stood still, pricking her ears. Then Cherry tore off down a small side hall, pads barely touching the ground. The fox skidded around a corner, nearly colliding with the wall. Gin, Tosen and Aizen were walking down the hall discussing something. The sight of the little white fox dashing toward them drew their attention, however.

"Cherry! What's got you in such a rush?" Gin greeted.

Cherry ran to him, grasped his robe in her teeth, and started tugging hard.

"No, Cherry. I can't play now," Gin said, grin broadening.

Cherry released his robe, dashed back down the hall a few paces, then turned her head back toward him. She barked once, then ran back and tugged on his robe again.

"Wha's wrong, Cherry?" Gin asked, looking at his little companion closely. Cherry ran off and barked again.

"I think you'd better follow her, Gin," Aizen said, looking slightly amused.

Cherry barked in agreement, looking extremely agitated. Then, to everyone's surprise, she ran back and tugged on Aizen's robe, too.

"She wants you to go too, Captain Aizen," Gin said, obviously bemused.

"Very well," Aizen said, smiling a bit. "I'd like to see what has her so wound up."

Cherry dashed off again and waited. Gin followed, Aizen and Tosen a step behind. The procession continued through the halls of Las Noches, with Cherry stopping at the end of each hall and waiting for the others. When Cherry reached Rayanne's door, she stopped and barked at the three following her, telling them to hurry up. When Gin caught up, he glanced at Cherry, then looked inside.

"Oh, my," he whispered, grin nearly vanishing. Cherry dashed past him into the room.

Splinters of wood were scattered around the place. Blood was spattered on the walls, the bed, the floor, the table, everywhere. The door's lock had been broken clean off, and the door itself had been practically knocked off it's hinges. In the middle of the mess lay Rayanne, and she was a sorry sight to behold. The girl lay on her side in a slowly spreading pool of blood, her black shinigami robes ripped basically everywhere. She'd been cut nearly to ribbons, many deep wounds covering her entire body. Her zanpakuto's hilt was stained with blood as the blade was, resting in her open hand. Cherry ran over to Rayanne, nudging her hand. When that got no response, she licked Rayanne's face and whined.

"What could have done this?" Tosen asked no one in particular.

Aizen, meanwhile, studied the scene almost impassively, taking in every detail.

"Whatever it was, it's gone," he said suddenly, stepping into the room.

He walked over to Rayanne, standing over her for a few seconds before crouching next to her. Carefully, he turned Rayanne onto her back.

"Is she alive?" Gin asked, peering over Aizen's shoulder.

"Barely," Aizen answered.

Gin noticed the faint rise and fall of Rayanne's chest, and managed to sense the weak presence of her spiritual pressure.

"Tosen, go find Szayelapporo," Aizen said as Gin stepped back. Aizen stood, lifting Rayanne into his arms. "Tell him to come to my chambers as soon as he can."

**It took me eighteen chapters and a prologue to mention Rayanne's last name. A personal record! I'm kind of at a loss at where to go. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.**


	20. A Series of Unfortunate Events

**Chapter 19:**

**A Series of Unfortunate Events**

Rayanne woke and barely kept herself from groaning. The word 'sore' was so ridiculously inadequate she felt that only a complete idiot would use it in this situation. She opened her eyes and tried to rise.

"You shouldn't sit up so quickly," Aizen said, placing a hand on her shoulder, effortlessly keeping her down.

Rayanne lay back, her head spinning. To her surprise, Cherry leaped onto the bed with a happy bark and started washing Rayanne's face.

"Ah! Cherry! What? Hey!" Rayanne said, covering her face with the blanket.

Cherry didn't seem to notice and started kneading Rayanne's hair. Rayanne heard Gin laugh as Cherry began to puzzle over her long locks, pulling them out to their untested logical leap length and then rolling them back up. When Rayanne peered out from beneath the blanket, one said lock flopped into her face. The pair got another laugh from Gin and a chuckle from Aizen when Rayanne blew the dark strand from her face, and Cherry promptly pounced on it. Rayanne tried to sit up again and winced at the pain in her side. She realized she had bandages wrapped around her torso as well as a wrap on her right arm.

"What the heck happened?" she asked, even though she remembered full well.

She just didn't want to explain the whole thing.

"We don' know. Cherry led us to your room, an' we found you lyin' there all torn up in a pool o' your own blood," Gin answered.

"Glad I don't remember that," Rayanne muttered as Cherry snarled at a rogue lock of hair that she thought bore remarkable resemblance to a snake.

When Rayanne moved, the 'snake' moved, too. Cherry yelped in fright and leapt into Gin's arms. Rayanne laughed, then winced at the sharp pain in her chest.

"Sorry about that, Cherry," she grinned. With a soft sigh, she lay back down.

"Gin, could you go tell Szayel he can come in?" Aizen said.

"Certainly," Gin replied, walking out of the room.

"Now, Rayanne," Aizen said, walking over. "Who attacked you?"

"I don't remember," Rayanne answered.

She was about to say more, but Aizen's smile stopped her.

"You're lying," he said.

Damn, Rayanne thought. I can't tell him about the whole shape shifter thing. If he finds that out, there's no telling what he'll do. She flinched when Aizen tilted her chin back, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her vision swam, and Rayanne knew she was perilously close to shifting partially.

What the heck is wrong with me? Rayanne thought in panic. I'm usually more controlled than this.

She heard Aizen saying something. A kido, she noted vaguely, and soon she was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. The pressure on her right arm lessened, and Rayanne knew that someone had removed the bandage. Szayel, probably. Without warning, Rayanne's senses cleared. An instant later, a blood-curdling screech emanated from the hall. A chill ran down Rayanne's spine. She recognized that call. She glanced to her right. Aizen, Gin and Szayel were all staring at the door. Cherry pushed herself deeper into Gin's arms.

Rayanne quickly and quietly sat up, kicking the covers off, feeling her wounds heal as she moved. The shadow beast she thought she'd killed came charging into the room just as Rayanne stood. It leaped straight for her, claws outstretched. Rayanne shot a light magic blast disguised as a kido straight through its head. The creature didn't even hit the ground before it shattered, becoming nothing but dust in the wind, so to speak. Rayanne lowered her arm, shaking a bit. It had been a while since she'd tried a move like that, and it had taken a lot out of her. Suddenly Rayanne remembered the room's other occupants.

Szayel was staring at her, Gin's eyes had opened slightly, Cherry looked baffled, and Aizen was just smirking as though this had made his day.

"Excellent reflexes, Rayanne," he commented as she stepped off the bed, tense as anything.

"I don't dare ask what healing technique that was. I've never seen anything like it," Szayel said.

"That wasn't a technique at all," Rayanne retorted.

"I thought as much," Aizen said as Rayanne glared at him.

"She's back ta normal!" Gin said cheerfully.

Rayanne was better than normal. She was stronger than before, and she knew it. Unfortunately, so did Aizen. Szayel just said it out loud.

"What is with your spiritual pressure, girl?" the pink-haired Espada asked. "It's sturdier than it was when I last saw you."

Rayanne didn't answer. Aizen's smile grew.

"You know the cause of your new strength, I believe," Aizen said it like a question, but any fool would know it wasn't/ So Rayanne didn't reply, which only made him smirk again.

"Then I'm sure you'll understand me doing this," Aizen said.

A strange, cold energy suddenly gathered in his hand. Rayanne's eyes widened in shock and terror as she recognized the Hogyoku's energy. She knew what he intended to do.

"No!" she cried, stepping back as Aizen advanced.

He chuckled at her reaction. She was certainly perceptive.

"It won't be so bad," he assured her as he advanced, though he knew otherwise. "It will be like we've already done."

"Except about a thousand times worse," Rayanne answered, continuing to back away. "I have no wish to feel that thing's energy in me again."

"Is that so?" Aizen said, amused. "And you think you can avoid it?"

He stepped toward her again. Rayanne sidestepped around him and tried to run. Szayel immediately stepped out to catch her should she manage to leave the room. Unnecessary, since Gin blocked the door. Rayanne ducked as Aizen turned, then leaped up, hoping to throw him off. No such luck. She emitted a short scream when Aizen grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. Rayanne fell against him and immediately began fighting him, trying to free herself. Aizen firmly held her to him, feeling her trembling in his arms.

"Shh. It's alright," he murmured trying to calm her.

She stopped struggling, but she still trembled. Rayanne shook like a leaf in the wind as Aizen slowly drew his left hand up her stomach to her chest, coming to a stop over the pale scar. She tried to get away again when she felt the cold energy gather.

"No! Don't," she cried weakly.

Aizen gently pushed a strand of hair from her face. He kissed her for the third time, soft and gentle. Rayanne tried to push him away, whining ever so softly as she felt her strength fail. Aizen stroked her back to soothe her. When he pulled back, her struggles ceased. Rayanne gasped softly when Aizen's hand rested on her scar.

"Don't fight," he said softly. "I'll make this as quick and painless as possible."

Rayanne had hardly even opened her mouth to protest when the dark energy entered her body. It quickly overwhelmed her in this weakened state, and she gave a strangled scream before she fell into shadow.


	21. Epic Fail

**Chapter 20:**

**Epic Fail**

Rayanne didn't know exactly how long she'd been locked in this room, but it felt like years. She suspected in actuality it was a week, but it was impossible to know for sure. The only person she saw on a regular basis was Ulquiorra, who was responsible for her. Cherry would slip in with him on occasion, and had introduced Rayanne to her mate Tsuku. Gin had dropped by once to say hi (translation: to bug her), but other than that, she hadn't seen anyone. That suited her just fine, because there was a problem.

Rayanne hadn't been able to contact the Guardians.

She'd been trying for days, but had had no success whatsoever. Sometimes she sat for hours, reaching out to them with her strongest thoughts and all her willpower. Absolutely nothing. It troubled Rayanne immensely, but it gave her something to do. Problem was it also worried her immensely, since she got the feeling something horrible had happened. Even Rayanne's wolf had become unsettled, so riled up that Rayanne could hardly eat anything. Ulquiorra had asked her about it occasionally, but she just brushed him off, saying she was fine.

One day when Rayanne was practicing dreamspeaking, Gin walked in. Rayanne turned her head from the window as Cherry and Tsuku bounded in before Gin shut the door. Rayanne noticed he was carrying a tray of food, which he placed on the small table by the door.

"Hey, Rayanne," Gin greeted. "Ulquiorra says you haven't been eatin' lately."

"Does he?" Rayanne said, leaning back against the wall. She made no move to get up. Her face didn't change.

"He said you were lookin' kinda down," Gin said.

"Who's he to talk?" Rayanne asked incredulously.

Gin laughed at her expression, then laughed harder when Cherry an Tsuku knocked her onto her back and started wrestling with her. Rayanne, being part wolf, knew how these games went. The foxes were immensely pleased to have found someone who knew how to wrestle, and put all their energy into besting the shape shifter. They got some pretty hilarious instances out of it, especially when Cherry crawled up Rayanne's shirt and almost tickled her to death. By the time they'd worn themselves out, Gin was laughing so hard Rayanne wondered how he hadn't collapsed.

"Cherry! Tsuku! C'mon, you two!" the ex-captain said when he got his breath back. The two foxes scampered over to him while Rayanne sat up.

"Bye, Rayanne. I'll see ya later," Gin said, following Cherry and Tsuku out the door, locking it behind him.

Rayanne's senses tingled, and she tensed. What the freakin' hell? she thought. It had been faint a brief, but Rayanne had sensed Ichigo's spiritual pressure, along with a couple others. Rayanne hopped onto the bed and closed her eyes, honing her senses. Ichigo was here, and not too far away, either. Orihime's room was nearby as well.

Rayanne groaned and curled up slightly as she changed. As soon as she was in wolf form, she jumped off the bed and made her way to the door. Rayanne slid a claw into the crack and pulled it down, opening the door with no effort or sound. She reverted to human form and ran down the hall, keeping to the shadows. Silence and invisibility were key here, as was masking reiatsu. Rayanne made sure she covered all those bases as she ran along the halls. Soon enough she was standing by Orihime's door. Rayanne carefully slid a tendril of reiatsu into the lock, and the door clicked open. Rayanne peeped inside to make sure Orihime was alone. Luckily, she was.

"Orihime!" Rayanne called softly as she stepped inside.

"Rayanne! You're okay!" Orihime said happily.

She ran to her friend and hugged her hard. When she pulled away, Orihime said, "did you come to visit? Where's your escort?"

Rayanne grinned. "There isn't one. I snuck out of my room, and I'm going to be in huge trouble if I get caught."

Orihime gave a little gasp, then said, "you're trying to escape again? Rayanne, Ichigo's here too. We have to help him!"

"He got **caught**?" Rayanne yelled. "Great! I have no clue where he's being kept!"

"But we can't just leave him!" Orihime said.

"I know! I may be able to trace his reiatsu," Rayanne answered. "Follow me, and stick close."

With that, Rayanne immediately let her senses expand, and after what felt like ages, she located a trace of Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

"Okay, I've found a trace. It's faint, but it should lead us to him," Rayanne whispered. "We have to go fast."

"Wait, Rayanne," Orihime said, grabbing her arm. "You've already caused trouble. If you get caught..." she swallowed. "Aizen might kill you."

Rayanne grinned. "Better than withering away in this hellhole, in my opinion."

They walked in silence, Rayanne focusing her energy on following Ichigo's reiatsu. It led them deeper into Las Noches, along many winding paths.

"Why the hell is it always so cold down here?" Rayanne muttered darkly, making Orihime smile weakly. Finally the two girls came to a solid white door. Rayanne glanced down toward the lock.

"Yeesh. This is worse than the one on my door," she muttered.

"Can you open it?" Orihime asked anxiously.

"I should be able to," Rayanne answered.

With that, she allowed a small tendril of her reiatsu to slip into the lock, examining it. Eyes closed, she grabbed a hairpin from her pocket and slid it in. After a few moments of fiddling, a barely audible click sounded.

"Score," Rayanne said, pocketing the pin.

"That was amazing!" Orihime whispered loudly.

"Handy thing to have on your resume," Rayanne replied.

Quickly and quietly, she and Orihime slipped into the room.

Ichigo was there, his hands tied behind his back to some sort of board in the middle of the room. Captains Ukitake and Komamura were also there, along with Renji and Rukia. They were stuck near the far wall, trapped by some sort of energy barrier.

"Whoa. We missed something," Rayanne said, shutting the door quietly.

"Orihime! Rayanne!" Ichigo shouted.

"Rayanne!" Rukia and Renji said, relieved.

"Rayanne, thank goodness you're alright!" Ukitake said, relieved.

"Are you well?" Komamura asked.

"Better off than you," Rayanne answered. "Orihime, see if you can get rid of that barrier. I'll get Ichigo."

"On it!" Orihime said, running over to the others.

Rayanne ran over to Ichigo, who showed her his bound wrists.

"Damn. Not a good vantage point," Rayanne muttered.

Then she got an idea. The board he was tied to was shaped like and upside down V. Rayanne clambered up the opposite side and lay down on her stomach on the top so she could attack Ichigo's bindings from above.

"What was that for?" Ichigo asked.

"I couldn't get this damn knot from there," Rayanne answered, picking at said knot.

As soon as she undid the first part, she felt her energy wane.

"Reiatsu limiters? What the hell did you do?" Rayanne said as she started to work on the remaining ties.

"I'm starting to think you may be worse than him."

Rayanne gasped and looked over Ichigo's shoulder. Orihime squeaked and turned around.

Aizen stood in the doorway, Gin, Tosen, and a few Espada behind him.

For a few seconds, it was like deer caught in the headlights. Rayanne and the others were deathly still, staring at their captors. Then Ichigo tried to break free, startling Rayanne so much she toppled over backward. She in turn almost fell on Orihime, who scrambled away just in time.

"I don't need to guess whose master plan this was," Aizen said as Rayanne and Orihime got to their feet. When Rayanne saw him looking at her, she grinned for a second before glancing away.

"Are you alright?" Komamura whispered to her.

"Yeah, for now. No promises about later," Rayanne muttered.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked.

"Ulquiorra, Gin, would you escort Orihime back to her room?" Aizen said.

"Of course. C'mon, Orihime!" Gin said, waving her over.

Orihime meekly walked over to him and Cuarto Espada, and they left without another word.

"Tosen and Grimmjow, please take Rayanne to her room. I'll speak with her later," Aizen ordered.

"Why do I always get stuck with psychos?" Rayanne muttered as she walked over to her 'escorts'.

"Don't you dare touch her, Aizen!" Ukitake shouted.

Rayanne didn't hear Aizen's response because Grimmjow practically dragged her out of the room.

"Ow! Jeez, give it a rest!" Rayanne said, squirming away from him.

"Don't be so rough, Grimmjow," Tosen reprimanded.

"Tch. She's going to be roughed up after Aizen finishes with her," Grimmjow answered.

"So I want to be in tip top shape," Rayanne answered.

"Good luck with that," Grimmjow snorted.

"Did I ruffle the kitty's hair?" Rayanne muttered as they reached her room. With an angry growl, Grimmjow shoved Rayanne inside and locked the door.

"I'm throwing away the key," he called through the door.

"Please do," Rayanne shot back.

She heard another growl from the other side of the door and grinned. Then she crawled onto the bed and prepared for a tedious wait.


	22. Gathering Shadows

**Chapter 21:**

**Gathering Shadow**

When the door opened, Rayanne nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd been trying desperately to contact the Guardians, without success. Where the hell are you guys? Rayanne thought as she turned to face Aizen. Naturally, the next thought to enter her mind was I am so dead.

"Why do you keep trying to escape, Rayanne? You above all should know better," Aizen said.

"I was bored," Rayanne answered.

Aizen chuckled as he walked toward her. Rayanne tried to back away, and felt... horrors of horrors... a wall at her back. Damn it, she thought. Aizen grasped her chin and tilted her head up, looking into her eyes with his piercing gaze.

"Such stubborn resistance," Aizen said softly. "You've chosen a bad time, I'm afraid."

Before Rayanne could react, she was pinned to the bed and restrained by a binding kido. Her wrists were on either side of her head, but she realized her ankles weren't bound. Probably there wasn't a need. Aizen placed his hand on Rayanne's scar and let his energy flow into her. Rayanne cried out before biting the inside of her cheek and fighting back.

"As I said before, you're too stubborn for your own good," Aizen said.

Then, without warning, a large tendril of reiatsu pierced Rayanne's shield. She screamed in pain, molten lava coursing through her blood. Aizen pushed that tendril in further, and Rayanne almost passed out. She tried to push him back, but was too shaken to do much of anything. Aizen allowed his reiatsu to branch out, small strands inching outward like branches from a tree. Rayanne was writhing in agony at this point, trying with her most gathered thoughts to break the binding kido. When Aizen's energy started to wrap around hers, Rayanne threw her head back, allowing herself another small scream. A single tear fell down her cheek, the pain and frustration almost completely overwhelming her. Then a voice spoke in her mind, one that was welcome now more than ever.

Rayanne? Shannon said.

Shannon? Oh, jeez, Shannon, help me. He's wrapping his energy around mine, oh, gods, it hurts so much, Rayanne pleaded.

I'd love to help, but I'm stuck, the unicorn answered.

W...What do you mean? Rayanne could barely form coherent thoughts through this haze of pain.

We're trapped! Me and the rest of the Guardians! Shannon answered. I'm surprised I was even able to reach you.

Rayanne hardly heard the last part. She screamed as Aizen tightened his hold on her energy, the pain becoming more and more unbearable. Cold seeped into her being, and she felt as though she was being run through with countless knives.

"Submit to me, Rayanne," Aizen murmured in her ear. Rayanne took a breath and shook her head, shutting her eyes, more tears slipping free.

Rayanne! Listen to me! Shannon called. Something's trying to take over your body. Gather your light en... Rayanne! You're fading!

That much was true. Rayanne gave a strangled scream when Aizen's energy twisted inside her, and then the cold became worse. She could feel herself slipping, then falling... falling... falling...

xxXXxx

"Shannon? What's wrong? You look like a storm cloud," Len said. His mate turned to him, sapphire eyes shining, full of both worry and determination.

"Rayanne's in trouble. A shadow beast is trying to use her body to get into Hueco Mundo," Shannon answered.

"Can she fight it off?" Tirel answered.

"No," Shannon answered with a chilling sense of finality. "It's a strong one, and Aizen torturing her doesn't help."

"What?" Eran said, horror filling his face. "What's he doing to her? And how do you know it's a shadow beast?"

Shannon sighed. "I managed to connect with her because of her strong emotions. She told me Aizen is essentially choking the energy inside her, and from all the emotions I felt, it's hurting like hell. She's weakening fast, and the shadow beast is using that to its advantage. Darkness tinged all her senses, her energy, her emotions, and I sense the thing's mind before I lost the connection."

"Oh, no," Clouded Sky, the pegasus commander, breathed. She knew, like all of the oldest Guardians, that this meant the victim was minutes away from succumbing to the shadows.

"You're going to try something. I know that look," Len said, watching Shannon.

"How are you going to get out to heal her, though? The barrier Ladin's put around this mountain has kept us trapped in here for over a week," Shensa, Shannon and Len's oldest daughter said.

"If I can forge that connection again, I should be able to gather enough energy to travel through the barrier and reach her," Shannon said.

"I'll help," Eran said.

"Me, too," Tirel spoke up.

"Help if you want," Shannon answered.

As her followers spread out, she closed her eyes, searching for Rayanne's mind. When she found it, she frowned in concentration. Shannon forged a connection between herself and Rayanne's mind, thin but strong. With a quiet breath she gathered her magical energy around her, forming it, shaping it so it would do exactly what she wanted.

Hand on, Rayanne, Shannon thought to her fading apprentice. I'm coming.

**Whoo! That was harder to write than I thought it would be. Gods, I feel kind of bad for being so mean to Rayanne!**


	23. Savior

**Chapter 22:**

**Savior**

What's happening to me? Rayanne thought. She felt a coldness welling up within her, beginning to take over her entire being. Her struggles had all but ceased, and she felt as though she was inches from death. Aizen pressed lightly on her chest, and Rayanne groaned at the strain on her ribs.

"I'm not sure which is stronger, your strength of will or strength of body," Aizen said, gently stroking her neck. "Most arrancars would have fallen before now."

Rayanne didn't have the strength to respond. The light started to fade form her eyes and her limbs lost their strength. Suddenly she felt something; a warmth, a glowing. Rayanne's gaze flicked to the far corner at the foot of the bed.

A silent figure stood there, watching. Rayanne almost gasped.

Golden-brown hair. Leather armor. Sapphire-blue eyes, observant and radiating calm.

Shannon stepped forward and crouched beside Rayanne. It quickly became apparent that Aizen couldn't see, hear, or sense her at all. He gave no indication that he noticed anything out of place. Shannon placed a cool hand on Rayanne's forehead.

"You're in a fix," she said with a gentle smile. "Just hold on a little longer. I'm going to heal you."

The words were gentle, but the steel behind them reassured Rayanne. She felt a wonderful magic gather at Shannon's hand and flow into her. Oh, it felt absolutely fantastic. The cool, sweet water from a mountain spring seemed to flow through her as Shannon's healing magic spread, eradicating the shadows. Once the feeling had passed, the only thing Rayanne felt was an intense pain in her heart, which felt like it was made of lead. Shannon covered her mouth with both her hands, and Rayanne saw her exhale. When the girl drew her hands away, a ball of blue-green magic rested there, looking like a flaming pebble. Shannon lowered the orb to Rayanne's chest, right above her heart. The energy sank into Rayanne, and suddenly she felt as if she was floating on air. The last of her energy spent, Rayanne closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness. Shannon stood soundlessly and walked over to the wall. Looking back at Rayanne, she sighed softly.

"I'm sorry."

She turned to the wall and vanished, like mist in the morning sun.

**Sorry for the short chapter. I'm suffering from writer's block and can't figure out what to do for the next couple chapters. If you have any ideas, let me know via PM or review. Special thanks to daydreamer1008 for all the reviews. If you like this, check out her story I Wanna Change.**

**Thanks.**


	24. My Wolf Wants to Kill You

**Chapter 23:**

**My Wolf Wants to Kill You**

Rayanne was floating in a haze, half conscious and half dreaming. She didn't want to open her eyes, but she forced herself to. Her vision was blurry at first, so she blinked a couple times. The first thing that came into focus was Aizen, who was sitting at a table and reading a book. Shakespeare, Rayanne read off the spine. Figures. Wait a second. How could I have read that? That print's so damn small, and he's probably twenty feet away. In that instant Aizen glanced over at the bed.

"Good. You're awake," he said, placing his book on the table and standing.

Rayanne tried to sit up. Instantly her head swam and her body was racked with chills. She lay back down, shivering and hardly even able to move. What happened next nearly shocked her out of that state. Aizen lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

"Maybe I was a little too hard on you," he murmured, gently tracing the scratch on her left shoulder with his fingertips.

"Whoa. Respect personal space much?" Rayanne said, trying to get away. Aizen tightened his hold.

"You're in no condition to fight," he chided. "See, you opened that cut again."

"It's not that bad," Rayanne said, voice tense because of the sudden pain in her arm.

Aizen chuckled and allowed his reiatsu to flow over the wound, healing it. He pulled her to him again, and Rayanne subsided this time, although quite reluctantly.

"You can be utterly ridiculous at times," Aizen said softly, gently pushing Rayanne's head to rest against his chest.

Rayanne was horribly uncomfortable with this position, and had to force herself to relax. Her wolf wanted to get up and run, and Rayanne was inclined to agree.

"Not ridiculous. Stupid, yeah, but not ridiculous," Rayanne replied.

Aizen laughed softly and Rayanne grit her teeth to refrain from snarling. Wolf was starting to get antsy, and it was starting to hurt. Due to that, Rayanne started to struggle again, and again Aizen tightened his hold.

"Don't try to get up. You're still too weak to stand," Aizen cautioned.

"That's never stopped me before," Rayanne answered.

"Would you like me to sedate you?" Aizen asked, voice taking on a slightly dangerous edge. That not-so-subtle threat stopped Rayanne short.

"You win," she said, returning to her previous position. Aizen chuckled again, drawing Rayanne closer as he felt her shivers pick up again.

"You have a better sense of when to retreat than your friend," he said, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

"Ichigo? That's a given," Rayanne responded, unsettled by Aizen's touch.

"Oh?"

"He rarely, if ever, retreats," Rayanne answered simply.

"And you think that's a bad thing?" Aizen asked, amused.

"In some cases, yeah," Rayanne said. I can't believe I'm having a casual conversation with this guy. He kidnapped me! Hell, he freaking tortured me!

Mess with his head. Seriously.

Shannon? Rayanne asked in surprise. Aizen's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"And why do you believe retreat may be better than battle? Your comrades certainly think otherwise," he said.

Rayanne immediately let her guard up. "I don't want to talk about it," she muttered.

Aizen laughed again, then gabbed her chin and turned her head so she faced him.

"You and your mood swings," he said.

"What did you mmph," Rayanne began, but Aizen locked his lips with hers, effectively silencing her. Rayanne tried not to fight because she knew it was useless, but she couldn't help it. She tried to push herself deeper into the blankets, but Aizen gently held the back of her neck, keeping her in place. He pulled away briefly to allow the two of them to breathe, and then kissed Rayanne again, much to her dismay. This time she nearly managed to squirm away, but Aizen wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her to him. Rayanne went limp, and he pulled back.

"What was that for?" Rayanne asked weakly. Aizen smiled.

"You need to rest. Knowing you, you'd be up and about the moment I left."

Rayanne nearly groaned in frustration, then she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

xxXXxx

Rayanne had found out quickly enough that she was now staying in Aizen's personal quarters, which didn't sit well with her. She could managed during the day. There was a huge library with plenty of reading material. Aizen had forbidden her going into the back room, and had been rather surprised when she'd complied. The idea had occurred to her, but she decided to wait a little while since she was already in a lot of trouble. Night was a different story. Sleeping in the same bed was bad enough, but the second night Rayanne had had such a terrible nightmare she'd shifted in her sleep. Luckily she'd woken up and had managed to move to the floor without waking Aizen. However, she hadn't woken after changing back, and had told Aizen she'd fallen out of bed when he found her on the floor the next morning. That had been a bad explanation since she'd been on the opposite side, but it was the best she could come up with. However, her dreams had been getting steadily worse, and had gotten so bad she was almost afraid to go to sleep at night. One night, after a particularly nasty dream, Rayanne was lying on her back staring at the ceiling.

Bad dream? Shannon asked.

How'd you know? Rayanne said.

It happens, the unicorn answered.

Suddenly Rayanne sat bolt upright. She'd sensed something, vile and cold and terrifying. And it was coming from that secret room.

What was that? Rayanne thought.

Dark, whatever it was, Shannon muttered.

I'm going to go check it out, Rayanne stated, slipping out of bed.

For crying out loud, be careful, Shannon said.

Rayanne moved almost soundlessly out of the bedroom, through the hall to the library and the old door. Rayanne made short work of the lock, and carefully eased the door open. A draft of cold, dank air hit her in the face. The room was dark and freezing. The only light in the place was provided by a small blue flame at the end of the room on a table.

What? Blue fire? Nobody in Las Noches can cast spells, and there isn't a kido for this, Rayanne thought, approaching the desk.

Rayanne scooped the small light into her hand and looked around the room. It appeared to be an archive of old records, the papers aged and words fading. However, a few of the piles were slightly askew, and there was a lack of dust on certain files.

"Whoever was in here was looking for something," Rayanne muttered.

A piece of yellowed paper on the floor caught her eye. Rayanne picked it up and quickly scanned it. Certain words and phrases jumped out at her. Oken, shadow magic, turning vessel, high chance of no return to light, monsters forever.

Holy... Rayanne was dumbfounded. If the Oken was created... well, actually, if Aizen tried to create another one using the Hogyoku... the results would be catastrophic. The souls that would normally be absorbed would be transformed into monsters, possibly with no way to change back, making the Shadow Army that much stronger. A tear in the Shadow Veil the size of Nebraska would be opened, allowing more creatures to invade the light universe. Overall, it pretty much spelled doom for Earth and the surrounding worlds.

"Up a little late, aren't you?"

Rayanne dropped the parchment and whirled. Aizen stood a few feet behind her, looking slightly amused.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear you are not to enter this room," he said, coming to stand in front of her.

"So I know exactly how to get on everybody's nerves," Rayanne said, somewhat bitterly.

Aizen chuckled. Without warming, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Quite the little vixen, aren't you?" he said.

"Not quite," Rayanne muttered. She squirmed in Aizen's hold as he drew his hand up to her scar. To her surprise, he didn't knock her out.

"This must have caused you such pain," Aizen murmured, running his fingertips over the mark.

"Why should you care?" Rayanne snarled, still struggling.

She stopped immediately when Aizen caressed her neck, gently tilting her head back and forcing her to meet his gaze. Suddenly she felt him brush against her barriers, just shy of her inner world. Wolf lashed out before Rayanne could stop her, snapping at the intruder. Rayanne pushed her back before Aizen could tell what she was, and managed to keep her back.

Kirazuki, could you do me a favor and rein her in? Rayanne asked.

No problem, her zanpakuto answered.

Yeah, leave him to me, her hollow said.

Oh, no you don't, Rayanne said. Suddenly her head swam, and she immediately started to fight the kido. However, the notion came too late, and darkness enveloped Rayanne once again.

**(Cue muttered curses in the background) Sorry for the bad ending, I just couldn't come up with anything else.**

**Rayanne: Why do I always get caught?**

**Me: Your sensing skills need work.**

**Rayanne: They do not!**

**Grimmjow: Then why do you keep getting caught? (Crazy grin)**

**Me: (mutters) Somebody's been into the catnip again.**

**Grimmjow: (growls)**

**Ulquiorra: (expressionless stare)**

**Shannon (in the background): Maybe Ulquiorra needs some catnip...**

**Rayanne: Don't even joke about that!**


	25. Dark and Lonely

**Chapter 24:**

**Dark and Lonely**

She woke up to... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Rayanne blinked a couple times to make sure she was really awake. She was, but she couldn't see anything except a limitless black. She stretched her arms out fully, and couldn't feel any walls. It didn't feel like her feet were touching a floor, either.

Where the heck am I? Rayanne thought. She realized she couldn't sense any spirit energy, either. It was like she was the only being in a world of nothingness.

You're in an isolation tank, Shannon said. A sensory deprivation chamber.

What? Oh, crap, Rayanne thought. I can probably deal with this for about twenty minutes before I go stark, raving nuts. Knowing Aizen, he probably wants to keep me in here for a week to see how I fare. Though Rayanne hated to admit it, she was a little worried about how long she'd actually be in here. She couldn't see or hear, sure, but she couldn't **feel**. Nothing hurt, yeah, but nothing really felt good, either. So Rayanne thought of better times. She almost cried when she remembered her trip with the dragons. Running through fields of wildflowers, lying in them and talking, moonlight flights, cliff jumping into lakes. Rayanne actually managed to crack a smile when she remembered sliding down the mountain with the dragonlets on old logs. It had been one of the greatest moments of her life when they'd made a steering mistake and gone flying into the lake. Rayanne sighed softly. It had only been two years since then, but now it seemed like a lifetime ago. It was like she was reliving her life, feeling every emotion again. If this keeps up, I'll start to hallucinate, Rayanne thought. Vaguely, she realized she already was. She figured it could be counted as a daydream, but she didn't know for sure. Rayanne was thinking she needed to die. Right then, the lid was taken off the tank and light streamed inside.

And gods, did it **hurt**.

Rayanne cried out, but the sound of her voice was so painful to hear she shut up immediately. She screwed her eyes shut and curled into as tight a ball as she could. Someone gently lifted her out and carried her she didn't know where. Rayanne was lowered onto something soft... a bed, she noticed vaguely, and covered with a blanket. She hardly moved. Any touch, sight or sound after such utter nothingness freaked out her senses. Feeling anything right now sent shockwaves traveling through her nervous system. So she just lay there trying not to move. When she deemed it safe to twitch, Rayanne uncurled just the slightest bit. She started when someone uncovered her head.

"She's back!" Gin sang. Rayanne winced visibly because of the noise.

"Not so loud, Gin. She's probably in shock," Tosen said.

"Oh. Sorry," Gin said, a bit more quietly. "How're ya feelin'?"

Rayanne tried to clear her head, for the first few moments without success. She managed to swallow.

"What do you think?" Her voice was raspy even to her ears.

"Well, ya don' sound too good," Gin quipped.

Rayanne burrowed deeper into the covers as Tosen made his way over, looking down at her with those milky, sightless eyes. He reached out and grasped her wrist, moving slowly so he didn't startle her. Rayanne tried to pull back, the sensation of his fingertips feeling like knives in her veins. Tosen held her gently but firmly, placing two fingertips on the underside of her wrist to check her pulse. He didn't appear to notice as Gin wandered off to check on Cherry and Tsuku.

"I'm sorry, little one," Tosen said softly, releasing her.

Now I **know** I'm hallucinating, Rayanne thought, curling up again. She heard the door open and closed her eyes again.

"I'm here for the girl," Ulquiorra said.

"Very well," Tosen replied.

Rayanne shut her eyes even more tightly and curled into an even tighter ball. She felt Ulquiorra lift her, surprisingly gently. When they left the room, every sound seemed magnified by some ridiculous factor, and Rayanne heard an incessant ringing noise in her head. She felt nothing other than a sense of dread, a nasty foreboding that seemed to grow with every step Ulquiorra took. Before she knew it, she was trapped in that horrible (empty?) tank.

**Sorry it took so long to update. My mother was on call all weekend, so I couldn't use the computer.**


	26. Desired

**Chapter 25:**

**Desired**

This time, she wasn't alone. Rayanne felt a sharp chill the second the tank was sealed.

"Who are you? She figured someone (namely Szayel) was monitoring her, and didn't want to speak out loud.

That is of no importance, a hissing voice spoke in Rayanne's mind. Rayanne had been expecting such an answer.

Then** what** are you? Rayanne asked.

Currently I am nothing but a part of the darkness that surrounds you, the voice hissed. A shadow beast, Rayanne thought to herself. Great.

What do you want? She asked the thing.

My master wishes to deliver a message to your mistress, came the reply.

Shannon is not my mistress, Rayanne said vehemently. She's my teacher. And friend, she added to herself.

Whichever it is, the monster hissed as though in laughter, my master wished to deliver a message to her.

What? Rayanne asked. In answer, a dark presence invaded her, in moments moving quickly to her inner world. Rayanne threw up her defenses, and the beast crashed against them. It started tearing at her barriers, and it became obvious that she was too weak to win. And, as if on cue, that mysterious, wonderful presence in Rayanne's inner world surged forward and took control. Rayanne screamed as she felt her body changing, and awful pain erupting in her back. The tank shattered, no longer large enough to contain its occupant.

The scream became a deep-throated roar.

Rayanne stood on shaking legs, vision blurry. She looked down at her... claws? She looked over her shoulder. Blue-green scales. Spines. Leathery wings. What the hell...? Rayanne thought. This is new. It was also convenient. Rayanne leapt out the nearest window and spread her wings for the first time. Once she reached a dune a safe distance away from Las Noches, she collapsed onto the sand. In no time at all, she'd fallen into a deep sleep.

xxXXxx

Rayanne woke with a start. She knew without knowing how she knew that her dreams had been like the visions of a seeing stone. The Winter War had started, and Yamamoto was down for the count. The Garganta had been sealed, but Rayanne didn't have to use any of them to leave Hueco Mundo. Rayanne reached out with her senses and found a suitable gathering of energy. Gathering it to herself, she opened a hole in the fabric of space. She stepped through. What Rayanne found on another side was total devastation. The town had been practically blown apart. She sensed Ichigo, Isshin, Gin and Aizen. Urahara was there as well. Rayanne heart skipped a beat. Ichigo, Isshin and Urahara were weakening quickly. Yoruichi joined the fray, not that it did much good. Isshin fell first. Then Urahara, then Yoruichi. Rayanne was running, trying to find them, but was having no luck. She skidded to a halt coming out of an alley. She was just in time to see Ichigo cut down by Aizen.

No, Rayanne thought as the orange-haired Shinigami fell to the ground. Oh, no, we're in trouble.

Rayanne had noted earlier that none of her friends were dead, just too weak to move. As before, Ichigo was still conscious and strong enough to talk. Rayanne busied herself with preparing a kido, making sure to mask her presence very, very carefully.

"Hado 63: Raikoho," Rayanne said softly.

A sphere of energy left her hand an flew directly toward Aizen and Gin. At the last possible second, Aizen turned and blocked the attack, to Gin's utter astonishment. Uh, oh, Rayanne thought, grinning. New plan.

"Nice try, Rayanne," Aizen said, looking toward her hiding spot. "You did an excellent job of masking your spiritual pressure, but you shouldn't have dropped your barrier to cast that kido."

You're talking to air, Rayanne thought from the roof across the street. She'd done that on purpose, and had left a trace of her spiritual pressure when she'd moved. She cast another kido, and it would have found its mark had Gin not taken a step. It hit him square in the back, and he went flying into Aizen with a startled yell. Both men were knocked off their feet and went tumbling to the ground.

"Not exactly what I was hoping for, but that works," Rayanne muttered, grinning broadly.

With that she ran. She leapt of the building and started running through the ruined streets. She knew, thanks to her dreams, that the Espada and Tosen were still alive. Ichigo and the others had destroyed dolls. If any of them were here, Rayanne knew she was in trouble. Rayanne came to a screeching halt when Aizen appeared in front of her. The girl immediately drew her zanpakuto. Aizen laughed.

"Come now. You should know better," he said.

"I should?" Rayanne said lightly. In fact, she did know, but she wasn't going down quietly. Aizen suddenly disappeared. Rayanne jumped up and flipped in midair, sheathing her sword as she did so in preparation to fire a kido. She landed, turned... and a searing pain shot through her chest. All Rayanne saw was a haze of red and blue... her blood against the blue sky... as she fell. And then she saw nothing at all.


	27. Wolf Has a Go

**Chapter 26:**

**Wolf Has a Go**

When Rayanne regained consciousness, she immediately became aware that the pain in her side had lessened greatly. At least I know I'm not dead, she thought. Then she opened her eyes. White. No, oh, no, Rayanne thought. Am I never going to get out of here? Why didn't they just leave me to die? She tried to sit up, but the movement caused searing pain to shoot through her arms, making them go almost completely numb. With a small whine, she lay back down. Now what? Rayanne thought. I can hardly even move. She was about to drift off into sleep again when the door opened and Aizen entered.

"Awake at last, I see," he said, smiling. Rayanne just returned her gaze to the ceiling, barely keeping herself from rolling her eyes.

"You could have let me die. Then you wouldn't have to worry about it," she said.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Aizen asked.

"I don't know, and frankly, I don't want to find out," Rayanne answered.

Aizen chuckled as he made his way to her bedside. He pulled the blankets down and gently parted her shinigami uniform to reveal her bandaged chest. Rayanne all but hissed at him and pushed herself away despite the pain. Aizen laughed.

"Come now, Rayanne. I would think we were past that," he said.

"You thought wrong," Rayanne growled.

"I need to see how you're healing. It's nothing to worry about," Aizen said.

Argh, Rayanne thought. She suspected strongly that this was more than a check up, but she knew Aizen was perfectly capable of forcing her to comply if she fought him. Seeing the lapse in her resistance, Aizen gently pushed her back down. When Rayanne didn't move, he went ahead and cut the bandages away. The wound didn't appear to be healing as quickly as many of Rayanne's previous wounds, but her recovery was still progressing more quickly than normal. Rayanne hissed in pain as Aizen traced the injury with his fingertips.

"You'll probably have a nice scar, but it's not showing any signs of infection," Aizen said. Rayanne just sighed softly in response. Suddenly she felt a searing pain in her ribcage.

"Agh! What the heck are you doing?" Rayanne yelled. She tried to push Aizen off, but before she knew it he'd pushed her down and tied her wrists to the headboard.

"Don't fight, don't struggle. You'll hurt yourself," Aizen said in her ear.

He placed his hands over her wound and pushed his energy into her. The pain was so intense Rayanne thought she would black out. She cried out and started to fight the ropes, a few reflex tears slipping down her cheeks. Aizen responded to her cries by comforting her, reassuring her, for all the good that did. Wolf surged forward, and Rayanne was too weak to hold her back. Rayanne emitted a strangled scream as Wolf took over and she shifted, slipping free of her bindings. Aizen stood, stunned for the moment.

Rayanne had no such problem.

Without pausing, she leapt at Aizen, snarling in fury. She knocked him over, fastening her jaws around his neck as they both fell. The wolf bit down, feeling her teeth break skin, tasting the blood of this hated man in her mouth. If Rayanne had managed to hang on for another second, she would have killed him. Unfortunately, Aizen recovered from his initial shock and pressed his hand against Rayanne's throat, forcing her to open her jaws. Rayanne heard the grating sound of a sword leaving its sheath and leapt away from her enemy, easily avoiding the slashing blade. Aizen stood, blood flowing from numerous puncture wounds in his neck, and surveyed his opponent. He had known she wasn't ordinary, but he'd thought she would turn out to be a human-shinigami hybrid like his other young captive. But this was beyond incredible.

"Well, look at you," Aizen said. Rayanne laid her ears back and growled.

"Can you understand me?" Aizen asked the wolf.

Rayanne peeled her lips back in a snarl. Aizen drew his zanpakuto from his side. Rayanne didn't give him the chance to go any further. She leapt at him, claws outstretched. Aizen sidestepped her, but Rayanne had been expecting it. She twisted in midair and scratched his chest with her hind claws. Wolf Rayanne landed, turned, and jumped on Aizen again. She dug her claws into his chest and bit his shoulder. Aizen once again threw her off. This time, instead of attacking, the wolf backed away from him.

The change went more smoothly this time, and with a barely audible groan, Rayanne returned to human form. Blood stained her teeth and trickled from her mouth in a thin stream. There was also a bit on her nails. Rayanne spat and wiped the blood from her face.

"Don't ever do that again," she growled.

Suddenly her head swam and the room spun. Rayanne felt herself falling, and felt someone catch her as her world faded away.

**So Aizen finally finds out Rayanne's secret! Part of it, anyhow. There's still the dragon and the whole princess concept, plus the part about being Shannon's apprentice.**


	28. What Can I Do

**Chapter 27:**

**What Can I Do?**

Ugh, Rayanne thought. Exactly how many times have I blacked out in the past three months? There was a metallic taste in her mouth. Blood, she realized. She vaguely remembered shifting and attacking Aizen. Oh, gods, I am in so much trouble. Rayanne covered her eyes with her arm and turned over the slightest bit. Clink. What the...? Rayanne's eyes flew open and she flung the covers off.

"Oh, you have **got** to be kidding me."

She was chained to the bed, a shackle locked around her left ankle. At least he didn't use a collar, Rayanne thought with a wry smile. She yanked on the chain a few times to see how secure it was. Pretty secure. She inspected the shackle and discovered it had no lock. Rayanne bit back several curses as the door clicked open.

"Good morning, Rayanne," Aizen greeted.

Rayanne glared at him and edged away as he came over to the bed. When he sat on the edge, Rayanne went over to the other side. Aizen smiled at her reaction.

"A shape shifter," he said. "To be honest, I never thought I'd see one of your kind." Rayanne made no reply, just kept a wary eye on him.

"Come here, Rayanne," Aizen said.

"No thanks," Rayanne answered, teeth bared in a wolfish snarl. Aizen smiled again.

"You think you have a choice?"

Rayanne felt the chain on her ankle go taut. Aizen pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her before she could get away. Rayanne struggled briefly, stopping only when Aizen gently grasped her neck. She let her muscles relax, and her captor released her neck.

"Really, Rayanne, you should know when to quit," Aizen chided.

Rayanne pursed her lips and said nothing. Aizen chuckled, then slipped his hand under her top and placed his fingertips on her stomach. Rayanne's eyes widened a bit, and she started to struggle again.

"Don't worry, I won't force you to shift again," Aizen murmured to her.

Rayanne felt a small amount of reiatsu gather at his hand, and then some of it flowed into her. It sent odd sensations traveling through her nerves, pain mixed with a weird pins and needles feeling. Aizen moved his hand upward slowly, lazily, fingertips dancing lightly on Rayanne's bare skin. Before long, Rayanne was writhing and groaning in the man's hold.

"Ugh, stop!" Rayanne managed to say. Aizen laughed softly.

"Such a sensitive girl," he said quietly. "What do you think would happen if I were to try this on one of your weak points?" He slipped his hand from under her shirt and gently touched her scar.

"No! Don... agh!" Rayanne managed to choke out as Aizen pushed small sparks of energy into her. Her struggles became more frantic, but none were even remotely successful. Suddenly Aizen directed a more powerful blast of reiatsu into her. Rayanne cried out and doubled over a bit, clutching her stomach. Aizen immediately pulled his hand away and just held her to him, slightly perturbed by her small cries of pain and distress. He was startled when she pressed herself against him, trembling and groaning quietly. Aizen stroked Rayanne's hair, attempting to calm her.

"Shh. It's alright. It's alright," he soothed.

After a minute or so, Rayanne stopped trembling and her breathing became more regular. She tried to get out of Aizen's arms, but he pulled her to him again. Rayanne allowed herself to relax, shaking ever so slightly. Aizen tilted her head back and looked into her eyes. He noticed they had an amber tinge to them, and they didn't look entirely human.

"Your wolf made another bid for control?" he asked. Rayanne swallowed and nodded.

"I'm usually more controlled than this," she said softly. She emitted a startled sound when Aizen kissed her again. This time she was able to control her urge to struggle and let him do as he wished. Suddenly Aizen gently bit Rayanne's bottom lip, causing her to open her mouth with a small startled gasp. That, unfortunately, allowed Aizen to slip his tongue in, though he wondered why Rayanne's guard had been down. Rayanne promptly bit him, and he realized she'd been more prepared than he'd thought. He quickly pulled back and noticed she was glaring at him. Rather fiercely, too.

"If looks could kill," he smirked.

Aizen kissed her again, and this time Rayanne made a sound of protest and fought back. Aizen held her too firmly, and her position didn't help at all. She hated feeling this helpless. Aizen lightly traced the seem of her lips with his tongue, at the same time grasping her neck, fingertips resting so lightly on her skin she barely even noticed. Rayanne hesitated an instant, then slowly parted her lips and unclenched her teeth. Aizen pushed his tongue into her mouth again, a bit more gentle than last time. Rayanne didn't bite him this time, but she gave a barely audible whimper. Aizen realized she probably wasn't used to this sort of thing, having never exhibited any romantic interest toward anyone, as far as he knew. He gently stroked her neck and ran his hand along her back to soothe her. Rayanne, meanwhile tried not to focus on Aizen touching her or exploring her mouth, which was kind of difficult. She couldn't help noticing he tasted of chocolate, somewhat. It was like those semi-sweet morsels mixed with dark chocolate and cocoa. Ew, she thought. Aizen had a different reaction. Rayanne was... interesting. She tasted of wild chamomile and honey, quite the pleasant combination. When Aizen pulled back, Rayanne allowed herself a deep breath. Her captor smirked.

"Come now, it can't have been that bad," he said.

"Speak for yourself," Rayanne hissed. She tensed when Aizen touched her cheek, leaning closer to her.

"Well, I must admit, you are pleasing to taste," he said in her ear.

Rayanne shuddered despite herself. The next thing she knew, Aizen had set her down on the bed and was at the door.

"I'll be back soon," he said.

"Take your time," Rayanne muttered. Aizen smiled, his usual arrogant smile, and closed the door. The second he was gone, Rayanne spat as hard as she could. Then she noticed something else.

He hadn't drained her reiatsu.

She sat for a second, hand resting on the chain around her ankle. Then she screamed into her pillow.

**This little plotline is going to end in an... interesting way. I'll let you interpret that however you want. **


	29. Finale

**Chapter 28:**

**Finale**

A couple hours later, Rayanne was busying herself with trying to get the chain off. It constrained most of her reiatsu, so she tried combining her strength with her wolf's. No luck. Suddenly the door crashed open, and Rayanne jumped a mile before she realized it was Ichigo standing there. His hair was in even more disarray than usual, and she could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Ichigo. You look like hell," Rayanne said.

"Hello to you, too," Ichigo responded. "Come on. We've got to get outta here."

"Unless you can find a way to break this chain, you're on your own," Rayanne answered.

"I'm not leaving you," Ichigo said vehemently. "Grimmjow told me what Aizen has done to you. There's no way in hell I'd leave you to face that again."

With that, he grabbed the chain and yanked hard. Nothing. Ichigo and Rayanne pulled together. Still nothing. Suddenly Rayanne jerked her leg back, and the shackle snapped off.

"Holy cow," Ichigo said as she stood. "I never thought… wow."

"Great. We should be running now," Rayanne said.

The two friends took off, sprinting through the halls of Las Noches.

"How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Rayanne asked nobody in particular.

"Ummm," Ichigo said, at a complete loss.

"I can guide you," came a voice from Rayanne's shoulder. To Ichigo it sounded like a squeak. He turned and yelled in surprise when he saw that it was a hollow mouse.

"Thank you," Rayanne said, bringing her hand up to her shoulder as she ran. The mouse crawled onto it, and when Rayanne extended her arm, it leapt off and dashed away.

"What was that?" Ichigo asked.

"Follow the mouse," Rayanne answered. "I have somewhere else I need to be."

"What?" Ichigo asked, skidding to a stop.

"I have to meet up with some old friends," Rayanne smiled. "I'll see you later, Ichigo. Good luck with Aizen." She lay a hand on his shoulder.

Ichigo grinned and returned the gesture. "Good luck to you, wherever you're going.

Rayanne laughed. "I'm gonna need it."

xx Grand Finale: The Coronation xx

Rayanne stood on a raised dais, looking out over the assembled crowd. It was made up mostly of shape shifters, but Momo, Miyame, and captains Ukitake, Komamura, and Kyoraku were there. Rangiku and Izuru had appeared a few minutes earlier, dragging with them the rest of the captains. Even (oh gods) Head Captain Yamamoto. Byakuya, for once, wasn't looking completely depressed, much to the surprise of Renji and the rest of the assistant captains. Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Hanataro, San, the Visoreds, and the gang from Urahara Shoten had made an appearance, too. Rayanne smiled. The Guardians were here as well, but they were staying well out of sight.

"Before the trees, sky, earth, river, sun and moon, I present to you Rayanne Amenaki, Queen of the Shape Shifters," Ryukin, the eagle lord, finished traditional cant. Rayanne bent her head a little, and Aya placed a crown of sliver leaves studded with green gems on her head. Rayanne's green gown and blue cloak seemed to billow outward as she straightened, matching the feeling in her heart.

"Queen Amenaki! Queen Amenaki!" Aya cried. The others took up the cheer.

"Queen Amenaki! Queen Amenaki!" The whole forest rang with their calls, and Rayanne's heart swelled even more.

For standing on a rocky outcropping not too far away were the Guardians, acclaiming the new queen in their own way. The dragons roared and flamed, griffins and hippogriffs screeched, and pegasus and unicorns whinnied for joy. All of them were kicking up their heels and rearing. Rayanne's smile widened. She never thought her heart could feel so full.

xxXXxx

The celebration lasted long into the night. There was a huge banquet, and now everyone was dancing around a bonfire. Rayanne laughed. Yoruichi had dragged Byakuya onto the dance floor, and the usually stoic noble was looking immensely irritated, though his reddening face could be partially due to slight embarrassment. Almost every other soul reaper was gaping, but Ichigo had fallen off his seat laughing. Rayanne was sitting near the edge of the clearing, and she drew her gaze from the dancers up to the stars. She'd been told the fight with Aizen was something no one would forget in a hurry. She herself hadn't been there. She'd gone with the Guardians to help push Ladin and his shadow beasts off of Earth. They'd told Rayanne about Ladin trapping them inside a mountain to keep them out of the way, which had explained their eagerness to get going. The monsters hadn't stood a chance.

"Hey beautiful," Eran said, coming up behind her. Realizing what he'd said, he blushed a deep shade of crimson. Rayanne blushed a bit, too.

"Too bad I don't take to dresses," she grinned.

"Ditto. No good for fighting in," Shannon agreed, popping up from the shadows of the trees.

"You've fought in dresses," her mate Len said, appearing beside her.

"After I ripped them to shreds," she responded.

Rayanne laughed, then giggled as Eran tickled her ear. She leaned into him unconsciously as he sat down beside her. Shannon and Len exchanged a glance, then melted away into the shadows. Neither Eran nor Rayanne noticed.

"Such a beautiful night," Eran said softly, gazing at the stars.

"Yes," Rayanne agreed. The lapsed into silence, either one speaking a word.

There was no need.

**The End**

**Okay, not quite. For those of you who think this sounds incomplete, it is. I'm writing a sequel, and I'm probably going to call it Dragon Wings. Until then, see you later.**

**P.S. If you have any requests or suggestions for the sequel, feel free to let me know via PM or review.**


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